Many people have misconceptions about video games and the effects they can have on the mental health of a child or adult. While there are drawbacks to excessive gaming, the truth is that gaming regularly can bring various benefits to a person’s mind. Although research is mixed on these cognitive benefits and how they carry over into the real world, there is a wide array of positives that can be obtained from gaming. Let’s take a look at how video games can help train your mind.
It goes without saying that playing video games can be extremely fun. Whether you prefer to play a virtual game of your favourite sport or fight imaginary monsters to your heart’s content, you’ll likely be able to find a video game that strikes your fancy. However, the mood-boosting properties of gaming go beyond just simple enjoyment. In fact, they can relieve stress and make for better heart rhythms. These correlations have been demonstrated in various unrelated studies, which is a reason why video games are often used in therapy for mental disorders such as depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Helping Your Mental Resilience
If you’re into gaming you need to be prepared to lose and to lose a lot. Due to the fast-paced nature of most games, you’ll constantly be faced with ups and downs, as your character or team will face constant challenges and obstacles. This means that video games can help people learn how to deal with setbacks and failures without giving up, helping their mental and emotional resilience in the process. Because of this, some research suggests that video games can help make people be more confident, flexible, and goal-oriented, as well as to learn from their mistakes more effectively. Even with games such as online slots or digital casinos, you can develop your ability to keep your emotions in check and remain disciplined. However, when playing these types of games, it’s important to only do so with trusted casinos that will ensure your games are fair and secure. Check out this website to look at expert casino reviews so that you know what to expect from any site before you sign up with it. There you’ll be able to pick the casinos with the best sign-up bonuses (in some cases up to £2000), and that will accept your payment methods. The site also verifies the terms and conditions of all listed casinos, carrying out extensive background checks and testing the customer support quality of each company.
Video games won’t just let you level up your character, they’ll also help you level up your real-life social skills. Many games allow the possibility to play online with other players in different multiplayer games. In these modes you’ll have to learn how to collaborate and talk to strangers, increasing your confidence and teaching you how to foster relationships with new people. When playing with friends, your teamwork abilities will be put to the test, while instilling a healthy dose of competition into your life. Do expect the possibility of drama though, as things can get testy when facing complex challenges as a team or when competing against people you know.
Improving Your Ability to Learn
One only has to look at the vast among of games focused on education and learning as an example of how video games can help people learn. However, games that are not specifically created as teaching tools can also be used effectively for learning. Beyond the fact that games can teach you to learn from your mistakes, there are games that include information from almost any possible subject. Video games can be based on anything from world history, politics, and science, to sports, strategy, or even cooking. Furthermore, due to the wide variety of different gaming genres available, you’ll be able to choose whichever one engages you the most. The more focused and concentrated you are on a game, the more of a mental training opportunity it can become as you automatically absorb helpful learnings while playing. In a way, you’ll be tricking your mind into learning.
Increasing Problem Solving Skills
Many games are designed like or include complex puzzles that take mental effort and time to solve. Thinking on your feet or out of the box, and learning to strategize in different situations can teach you to be a better problem solver. This has been found to somewhat translate to the real world, with one long-term study finding that children who played strategy-based games demonstrated an improvement in their school grades. Other research has shown that playing video games regularly can increase grey matter in the brain as well as brain connectivity. Grey matter is directly related to muscle control, spatial awareness, and memories.
Video Games Are Good for You In Moderate Amounts
Gaming can be great for your well-being if you don’t play an excessive amount. However, you might be wondering how much is actually considered “excessive”. In general, more than 10 hours per week is deemed to be an unhealthy amount of gaming. People playing this quantity of time may experience anxiety, insomnia, and a loss of desire for social interactions. Therefore, it’s important to manage how much you game so that you can avoid the harms while reaping the benefits.
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