Even in normal times, everyday life can involve periods of stress and anxiety. And the last couple of years have been far from normal, bringing additional worries around health and finance on top of anything we might normally experience. Gaming can provide a welcome distraction from this, allowing us to forget our worries for a while. But while this can bebeneficial, it is possible to have too much of a good thing and so it is important to keep life balanced to avoid additional problems.
The benefits of gaming
Whether there are serious problems or just everyday stresses, daily life can wear you down, sometimes causing sleep problems or loss of focus. Escaping from stress is beneficial to mental health and gaming provides a form of escapism. With a vast range of games available on your smartphone, it is usually possible to escape into a game at any time. Distracting your mind with a game gives it a break from its worries and allows it to recharge. You can boost your gaming speed with a spacebar counter.
When you’ve finished your game, you will likely be able to tackle any problems and challenges with renewed focus and greater perspective.
The downsides
Gaming is such an effective form of escapism that it can be tempting to stay in your game for long periods of time, rather than return to everyday life and the stresses it may involve. The problem is that gaming allows you to escape from your problems, but it doesn’t solve them and they will still be there, perhaps having worsened when you stop your game.
Breaks from daily life are necessary to help conserve energy and boost mental health, but spending too much time gaming means that important things such as work, study, household chores and relationships can be neglected. And as these mount up, they become harder to tackle, resulting in even more stress and perhaps an even greater need to escape it in a game. This downward spiral can be hard to end.
Keeping the balance
Good timekeeping can allow you to enjoy the benefitsof gaming without it taking over your life. When planning a day, you should be able to identify times when you are free or when it would be appropriate to take a break. If you find you lose track of time when gaming, set a timer. When the alarm sounds, you know it’s time to wind down your game and get back to work.
If you’re not sure what game to play, don’t waste time searching through loads of games to find the perfect one. Instead, use a dedicated site for recommendations and advice. If you enjoy online casinos, Vegas Bonus360 can help you find sites with a good casino bonus and other rewards, saving you time on finding the best deals.
Build up a range of games you enjoy so you can choose one suitable for each occasion. A short game is ideal for enjoying with a cup of coffee on a quick work break, while longerones are good for unwinding at the end of the day when all other tasks are done.