Dear friend,

Welcome to the third tool in the Dropping Stress and Anxiety Levels toolkit series.

Sometimes the best tool for managing stress or anxiety is one that fully distracts you for an hour or so. Just that short time of forgetting your worries because you are focused on something else can help ease them. Not always, of course, but I find distractions are a tool I try frequently, whether that’s games, books, or movies.

I particularly like games because they both give me a distraction and a sense of accomplishment, whether that’s finishing a hard level or upgrading my character. Of course, it is important to make sure the distraction doesn’t become excessively time- or mental space-consuming. I keep a close eye on my own habits since it can be easy for me to hyper-fixate on games. As a temporary relief, though, it can help me recenter, feel more accomplished, and feel ready to get back to facing whatever is on my plate.

It’s not just anecdotal evidence from my own journey – numerous sources have shown a positive link between gaming and improved mental health.

• This paper from 2014, found in the National Library of Medicine, looked at not only the previous studies linking video games to violence and the impacts of pathological gaming, but also the studies that have found positive emotional outcomes for gamers. It’s an interesting read, if you have the time.
• This site focuses on the benefits of gaming for the mental health of young people, but the improved benefits of community, relaxation, and a sense of achievement can be enjoyed by any age.
• This is another site that examines the benefits of moderate gaming, which include “socialization, improvement in focus, multitasking, working memory, cognition, and emotional regulation,” as well as the dangers of excessive gaming, which “coincided with mental health symptoms including depression, anxiety, and hostility.”
• This paper, also from the National Library of Medicine, examined whether or not commercially available video games – the ones made for entertainment, not with a specific clinical result in mind – can reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. I particularly like the inclusion of the table showing what benefits were found with which types of games.

In my own experience, games that have been helpful to me include:

• I Love Hue – not only is this fun and somewhat challenging, but it offers positive feedback after every level. I like the puzzle-play, but I really, really like the positive feedback no matter how long it took me to beat the level.
• Parking Jam 3D – I like the challenge of removing cars in the right order. I feel a strong sense of accomplishment when I win a time-based challenge against other players or when I beat a boss level.
• Animal Crossing New Horizons – I like this game for several reasons. I enjoy decorating my island and interacting with my villagers, the fun challenge of decorating houses for villagers in the Happy Home Paradise DLC expansion, and the fact that I can invite my friends over to hang out on my island. Several of my friends live many states away, so it’s a fun way to connect.
• Kingdom Hearts (any of the games in the franchise) – Not only are these games just fun to play, but the interaction with Disney characters, the engaging storyline, and the challenging boss levels leave me feeling excited and looking forward to the next world to explore, battle to finish, and story scene to unlock.
• Pokémon (any of the games in the franchise) – I like playing these alongside my sister. We trade back and forth, helping fill out our Pokédex. Playing these games feels nostalgic since I’ve played most iterations of them since Pokémon Yellow came out in 1998. It’s comforting to dive back into the world of Pokemon when a new game is released or when I choose to replay a game I already own.

I also went looking for other games that players have found helpful for their mental health journeys.

• This Reddit thread listed a lot of options, with many gamers recommending role-playing games and other games that they find absorbing enough to distract them for a few hours. I agreed with the recommendation of Diablo (I particularly like Diablo III) – I like that it can be multi-player, so I can play with my sister, and it really is easy to become immersed in the world of the game as you adventure through it, fighting enemies and leveling up your character as the storyline progresses.
• This thread has more recommendations. I particularly think Cozy Grove would be fun to play, though I haven’t tried it myself yet.
• This thread also has recommendations. OMNO looks particularly interesting, with an interesting world to explore.

What about you? Do you find gaming a good way to destress? If so, what games do you like the best?

Until next time, I wish you peaceful evenings and effective relaxation.

Love,

Katie