Nowadays more and more people are using video games as a strategy to release tension. No wonder: Long tiring days make us want to relax, stop thinking about all the day-to-day worries and have some fun. We come home and turn on the computer striving to play some video games. However, sometimes they can tire us even more. In this article, we will discuss ways in which video games can either do us a favor in the context of stress release or become our enemy on the way to finding peace.
First of all, video games do make a whole lot of positive impact in terms of stress reduction as they
- provide us with dopamine and an instant feeling of happiness. Games are surely there to bring joy and excitement once we get involved.
- are a challenge that is easy or relatively easy to handle
- reward us and bring the feeling of competence and success
- bring up our creativity and imagination
- are a kind of meditation as we attain a flow state and focus only on the game
- help us make social connections and become a part of the gaming community
- teach how to enjoy small winnings on the way to reaching a big goal
Considering everything stated above, can we include violent games to the list of stress-releasers?
Naturally, many people consider fast-paced games that include shooting or killing as a source of tension for gamers. It is really hard to believe that violent games make someone relaxed. However, different tricks work for different people. To get the wanted result, it is important that the game engages its player. There are people whose brains get easily occupied with puzzles and there are those who crave fast-paced activities so that their thoughts do not sneak to routine.
It is true that violent video games stimulate the release of adrenaline. However, it gets back to normal within 5 minutes after the end of the game, research says. Also, such games really are connected with stress because of their nature, but this is a positive kind of tension as it can be easily controlled. Think about it: if we are frustrated by a game, we can turn it off any minute, but if we face stress in real life, we cannot pause life. Therefore, it is way better to release all those negative emotions in a virtual reality. On the other side, if you are not into shooting games that much, playing them may bring unpleasant results, so staying mindful and feeling your needs is vital when picking a game.
To sum up, just like in any other field, there is no universal receipt for handling stress in video games. Different games fork for different people. Your feelings and level of enjoyment and fun while playing and after the game is over should serve as a perfect indicator of how good certain video games work for you.
This article was prepared by gammicks.com experts.