How to Balance Video Games and Studying/Work
The pressure of needing to be efficient with my time allied with the feeling of mindlessness let me to see videogames as an unnecessary and expendable activity.
So I stopped playing videogames…and then I restarted…and then I stopped…. This struggle happened enough times for me to come up with a conclusion.
Videogames are here to stay. I can spend the whole day playing and feel guilty afterwards or I can find a way to integrate gaming into a productive day. I picked the second one.
Embrace the Waste of Time
Unless you play in eSports or do gaming videos full-time on youtube, you will not produce anything while playing video games. You can still learn and find a meaning in them but face it, the goal here is to relax and be entertained. Do you agree?
Activities like gaming need to be seen as necessary moments. We need a moment where we don’t think about our problems and escape the real world. For other people that means watching TV or doing drugs (that escalated quickly), but for us, it’s video games.
It’s just like cheat day during a weight loss diet. A day of eating whatever your heart desires will serve to lower any cravings for a period of time.
My point: Gaming should serve as a reward. Completely eliminating it creates a vacuum that will implode in the form of excessive gaming.
Planning the Unproductive
Don’t fall into the trap of starting an unproductive activity without defining how long it will last. Before you start, define how long you intend to play. Some games like DoTa or LoL, should be planned by the number of matches you intend to play.
I like to keep my gaming sessions between one to maximum two hours (maximum two matches if the game is match-based). This amount of time makes me feel like I spent enough time in the game to enjoy it and that I didn’t spend the whole day playing.
You can experiment to find the best gaming window for you but please... contain yourself. (I'm watching you...)
Turn Gaming Into an Event
Restriction and clever planning can turn an ordinary activity into a deep and meaningful experience. Now that was deep!
Short and controlled bursts of gaming will satisfy your need for relaxation without letting you fall into a downward spiral of unproductiveness. It works just like the cheat day on a diet. A well-enjoyed gaming session will serve to satisfy your gaming cravings and help you not to over game.
It also allows you to game for a limited amount of time, making every minute counts.
While gaming like this, I tend to enjoy the game much more. I know that I only have a limited amount of time with the game so I’m more invested in the experience.
Stop Gaming at the Right Time
News flash, just because you made a schedule doesn’t automatically mean you will keep it. If you have been playing games since you were a kid you know how much games can suck you in without your permission.
How to win? Here are some ways you can set yourself to success:
Set a timer and put it away from your gaming area. When it rings, you will need to get up to turn it off.
Get someone to hold you accountable. If you live with someone, explain them your plan and ask them to make you stop playing.
Final Thoughts
You might want to stop playing games because you want to focus on more important things. But at some point, you will need to relax and video games definitely can fill that gap.
But I do have goals and things I want to accomplish so it is imperative to find a balance between relaxation and productivity.
If you enjoyed this piece of content, upvote it 👍 and let me know how is your relationship between work and gaming.
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STOPThis is a great read :) thank you for posting this for our community your support means a lot keep it up dude.
Thank you :) I love gaming and I want people to know that it can be used for good!
For sure dude. I agree with you. Check out my blog
Great suggestions. It's nice to have you on Steemit @roaddelta . We hope you enjoy the community here!
Very nice video and I feel exactly the same. Most of the time I feel guilty after indulging in way longer than planned gaming sessions. Still, as you say, entertainment is part of a balanced life. The key challenge is to keep the reward under control.
I also embraced another strategy: not all the gaming is useless (a part from keeping yourself entertained). Titles like Rocksmith, Shape Up and the sadly gone Xbox Fitness allow to combine entertainment with something useful and rewarding such as learning to play guitar or working out.
I also agree that keeping gaming time under control let you appreciate more the game itself, not to mention you definitely get better at it if you play for short times: long gaming sessions will eventually tire you -> chance of losing increases -> bitterness -> chance of losing increases further -> "one more match, I swear I'm gonna win this one"
Recently I re-started playing Rocket League. One of the main reasons I like it is the 6 - 7 minutes it takes for a match to run: you know how many you can play in an hour and plan in advance when to stop.
That being said, I have to confess last Saturday I spent an insane amount of time with my Xbox, whether it was for gaming or Netflix... still have to improve!
Thank you for sharing :) I'm now spending less time gaming because I have been busy creating content but sometimes I still like to play something just to relax.
If I game too much, then it evolves into more gaming on the next days. But if I get into the mindset of playing only a few hours, I enjoy play AND stopping at the right time. Ah Nextflix can be a black hole for productivity... I feel you xD
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Great post 😁 I work 12hour days and have a family when i get home to attend to. I put computer on at night after the children are in bed for 2-3hours, I either use this time to play casually or record my gameplay for my yotutube channel. I upload a gaming video daily on there, at first it was hectic fitting everything in but once I sorted a routine It all slotted in perfectly, trick Is to find what works for you and don't push out the things that are important 😁 Itll all come together eventually