Using Video Games for Relaxation

By Philip Woods

For people with stressful lives, playing video games may be more beneficial than you might think. Not only can they take your mind off troubles, but they can give you a break from the daily demands of work, the kids and keeping up with household chores.

It's like you enter another world, when you play video games, which can be refreshing and makes you forget all about the things that have bothered you throughout the day. Stress that bothers you in real life seems to disappear, when you are focusing on something else. It helps you to forget all about that demanding boss or making it home in time to get dinner ready for the kids. You have less time to dwell on the stressful situations when your mind is focused on something else.

Relaxing the mind and body lets you forget about worry and stress, and distracting video games can make you forget about things that might be troublesome or things you are looking for answers to. Concentrating on winning a video game lets you think of something else entirely and can help you get things off your mind which have you frustrated.

Video games can let you have some control over your involvement in the game and consequently, give you a feeling of being in charge again. Sometimes, work has a way of making you feel like you have no control and that is part of what causes stress. If you win, a sense of accomplishment can build your confidence and self esteem through role playing games and becoming the hero.

This is also beneficial for children. There are some children who do not seem to fit in with others very well. They may just be shy or they are not popular. When they play video games, they are in charge and the sense of power may help to boost their confidence levels. This in turn may help with situations they face in reality. It may help them to find friends who have the same interests.

Video games can improve concentration because focusing on the game helps them win, which they can adapt to school work and other things they will encounter in everyday life. Results that are achieved through video games can carry through to other parts of their lives.

The sense of accomplishment that comes from winning the game is another benefit, whether you are a child or an adult. The more difficult each level of a game becomes, the more confidence that is generated. It is one of the beneficial improvements that can come from playing video games because feeling good about yourself helps you have the confidence to handle everyday problems.

Mentally challenging video games seem more plentiful today and they challenge the user to become more skilled. Patience and perseverance comes with each level that gets more difficult to master, but practice makes perfect, which is a good lesson for children and adults.

Taking yourself to another world is part of the benefit of video games, because they let you leave the present behind for a short period of time, which gives you a break from the stress and feelings that make it hard to focus. A little time out of reality is one of the benefits of video games and sometimes everybody needs a little break now and then, which is what video games provide. - 29872

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