Healthcare professionals have never really been fans of gaming. They will often warn you about the disastrous consequences of playing video games and urge you to engage in real-world activities. You can also hear them talking about gaming disorder and its relations to anxiety, depression, obesity, sleeping disorders, and stress.
But things have changed with the improbable emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
People in the quarantine are struggling with all sorts of mental barriers, but video games help them to keep their cool and wait for the end of the pandemic more patiently. We are witnessing a sudden change of roles as psychologists now encourage people to spend more time playing games.
What is the real connection between video games and mental health? In this post, we will show you seven ways of how gaming makes you mentally stronger in the age of coronavirus.
Playing multiplayer games online grants you exposure to fresh social contacts and keeps you in touch with other players from all over the globe. You will work in close cooperation to achieve a mutual goal and hence avoid the feeling of isolation and loneliness.
It’s a great way to engage and interact with other people while being stuck alone in your room. Players can talk to each other, exchange messages, and have fun in the virtual world. Although it would be even better to go out and have fun with your friends, gaming is a pretty decent replacement now that you are going through the lockdown.
COVID-19 separated entire families and created a big problem for children and parents who can’t meet and spend time together. This is where video games step in to help families reunite virtually and have fun remotely. There are dozens of interesting family-oriented video games to try, but we will mention only a few of our favorite options:
Are you tired of reading news about the coronavirus pandemic? Are you sick of constantly monitoring death tolls in your country and other countries around the world? We bet you are because it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of reports about COVID-19 these days.
Jake Gardner, a passionate gamer and a writer who offers help with dissertations, says that video games make lives easier for millions of individuals simply by keeping them distracted: “Instead of watching the same horrible news minute after minute, you can sit back and enjoy playing video games. Gaming allows you to spend time more actively and protect your mental health along the way.”
Although commonly related to gaming, stress and anxiety are now the major consequences of coronavirus-induced isolation. People who don’t go out much feel alienated and lonely. They are not only bored but also unable to find a true interest in life as they live it today.
The problem becomes less acute if you play video games.
Gaming will minimize the feelings of stress and anxiety while helping you boost self-esteem. You will feel like doing something meaningful while staying socially connected. Online games are a stress-free zone where you don’t need to think about the dangers of COVID-19.
Another detail we need to mention is that gaming lets you join the community of likeminded individuals. Don’t think that you are entering the world full of strangers. On the contrary, online video games attract people who think pretty much the same and who go through the same difficulties in life at the moment.
In such circumstances, it will be much easier for you to feel like home and build a solid relationship with new friends. Gaming is fun and you should use it to enrich personal experiences while keeping your mental health intact.
One of the worst things about COVID-19 is that we all feel helpless. We cannot control the pandemic and we don’t know what to do except for staying in the quarantine with no serious commitments or responsibilities.
If you don’t like this feeling (and who does?), online video games are an excellent solution. You are in charge of the game in the virtual world and you decide what to do next. It’s a huge change and a genuine privilege compared to the chaos that dominates the real world.
Finally, we must say that online gaming is making your mind stronger and sharper. Instead of being passive and inert, you can engage in mind-boggling games that force your brain to work overtime.
According to the report, gamers exhibit a better range of cognitive abilities specifically involving analogy, processing speed, deductive reasoning, and mathematical intelligence. Many other studies confirm this statement.
Video games will not only keep your mind occupied but also make it solve all sorts of problems and riddles. This basically means that online games act as a means of entertainment and a cognitive booster at the same time.
Video games are not considered great for players’ mental condition, but things have turned upside down in the last few months. The COVID-19 pandemic put people in isolation and caused a whole range of serious psychological problems.
In this article, we discussed the benefits of playing video games and explained how gaming could save your mental health. Do you feel like gaming is helping you to preserve your mental stamina in the age of coronavirus? Share your experiences in the comments – our readers would love to see what their peers think about this interesting topic.
AUTHOR BIO
Leon Collier is a blogger and a writer of custom essay papers. As a member of the online assignment help agency, Leon writes about everything from pop culture and gaming to self-development and digital marketing. He enjoys reading and playing tabletop games on Saturday with his friends. Follow him on twitter @LeonCollier12.
July 27, 2021
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