8 Ways Gaming Can Make You Happy

Everybody knows gaming is a fun hobby. It keeps us occupied, engaged, and the vast array of free and paid games you can get into in so many different platforms is nothing short of exciting. Still, it’s not uncommon to find yourself in a place wherein you have to defend how you spend your time in front of a console.

The next time you need to justify how it’s actually good for you, just tell them all the below real-life benefits of gaming.

Gaming Relieves Stress

Life can be stressful, and roughly 44% of Americans live with chronic stress. This chronic stress can manifest in physical and mental ailments like muscle aches, headaches, anxiety, and depression if you don't do something to alleviate it.

After a long and stressful day, sitting down and getting lost in your favorite game is an excellent way for the stress to melt away. Evidence supports this theory. Basically, it sends signals to your brain to release endorphins when you play, and this helps to lower your stress levels.

See Also: 4 Ways To Reduce Stress Inside and Outside of Work

Gaming Relieves Boredom

Having a quality gaming system can give you an outlet to help relieve your boredom. There are literally thousands of games available in multiple genres, and you can find something to play no matter what your gaming style may be.

Boredom can be a very destructive thing, and it can lead some people into trouble simply because they don't have something to occupy their time. The Nintendo Switch was a huge boost to the gaming industry because it refreshed the handheld video gaming systems that people can take with them to fill their down time.

Gaming Encourages Socialization

When many people think of social experiences, gaming is usually at the bottom of the list. Socialization is important for people because we need to form connections with other people. However, multiple player games encourage you to work with other people and interact over the game platform.

One important thing people don't realize is that gaming can bring large groups of people together in unique ways. You can meet people from all around the world and interact with them inside of your chosen game. It may not be face to face, but you can form strong connections.

Gaming Encourages Bonds

Humans crave bonds because we're social by nature. Along with having very social elements, gaming can help us from strong bonds. For example, families who had a game night formed stronger bonds with each other than families that didn't make a point to play some type of game together.

Video games give people common ground when it seems difficult for them to find anything in common. It can bring families, friends, and total strangers together and give them a foundation to form strong bonds. In turn, overall happiness levels can increase, and this can lead to healthier families and individuals.

Gaming Encourages Imagination

Video games allow you to immerse yourself in fantastic worlds with imaginary creatures, and this encourages your imagination to flourish. Since a lot of people don't have regular things to encourage their imagination as they age, video games can help.

For example, Minecraft is an immensely popular game that has participants build cities, homes, towns, and more. The whole object of the game is to be creative. You can create traps, hidden rooms, and much more. They can be extremely rewarding and satisfying when you finish your in-game project.

Gaming Could Improve Your Vision

There are thousands of shades of colors featured in video games, and some video games revolve around being able to spot different items. Even though you typically sit closer to the television when you play, researchers are starting to explore the links between vision and gaming.

One study took a group of people who had a “lazy” eye and a “good” eye. During the study, they covered first one eye and then the other eye. They found that covering the good eye while playing video games could help to normalize the vision in their “lazy” eye.

Gaming Encourages Leadership Skills

No matter which type of game you play, you have to be able to think on your feet and act quickly to get a favorable outcome. For example, you may have to set up a defense for your city in the game, prevent crops from dying, or work to ensure that your party makes it through a challenging part of the game.

This motivation can translate over into your real career, and it can cause you to develop excellent leadership skills. Being able to quickly improvise when you game can help you think on your feet in the event of a crisis, and you'll be able to work quickly to solve it.

Gaming Can Help Ease Pain

If you're in pain, what is one of the things you do to distract yourself from it? Usually, it involves focusing your attention on something else and immersing yourself into it. For people who routinely play virtual reality games or massively multiplayer role-playing games (MMORPGs), it can take your entire concentration level.

Along with distracting you from your pain, playing games also prompts the analgesic (pain-killing) response in your body. It can cause your body to flood with hormones and chemicals that can help reduce inflammation and ease any pain you may feel.