Names slightly altered to so the individuals aren't easily identified.
This is a very random topic since it's fresh off of a conversation I had with a guy who's in a much better place right now, thanks to gaming. Shout out to Phil (& Ben). So Phil is dealing with a situation where his roommate jumped into a new place before the end of his lease with Phil... because the guy met someone special who wanted him to move in after a month. (Yeah, that's a wholeeeeee different topic for another day.) So now... Phil is working 10 hours per day on a job that was already bringing him stress while working the standard 40 hours/week. Now he has to work 50 to 60/week until he can move into a 1 bedroom apartment free of his current lease or find a roommate until his lease comes to an end... next summer. Next... Summer. He has a window to get out at the top of the new year, but that's not exactly a week or even a month away. I mentioned legal action, which he's already considering, but... he's on the fence about it. Definitely jacked up, but he's making it work.
The topic of gaming came up, when I suggested a few things to keep his stress down. It's no mystery that gaming can relieve stress... but he was on the fence about gaming until he heard Benny and another co-worker talking about Madden. One thing led to another, and he got an Xbox to play with them online. What started with him playing games here and there, turned into him connecting with them online and playing at a set time for a set amount of time per day.
He said the gaming won't change his annoying (fill in the blank) supervisor, but he said the gaming put fun back into his life... which wasn't there even prior to this situation. But doing something you like to do provides instant gratification after a long day, relieving that stress takes the edge off, and he boosted his social connection with Benny and whoever their fellow co-worker is. We've mentioned some of these things before, but it's really cool to hear how gaming made a positive impact on his life at this time. It didn't change the job, but he looks forward to something after work and talking with a few of his co-workers based on a mutual activity.
Speaking of a mutual activity, it didn't stop there because now they're working out together and sharing meal plans and things like that. I asked him if he thought this would've occured if his roommate didn't move out, and he didn't think so. So the glass is half full and with working out he feels even better, so after moving not only will he still have his game time, lower rent, a steady workout regimen, but he appears to have new friends. He didn't even realize what he gained, but what an awesome trade off it is.
So don't sleep on gaming and connection with those of likemind. Friends weren't even on his radar, and a number of people feel like making friends is like climbing a mountain (nowadays)... but common ground can connect us in more ways than we realize. Oh, by the way... Psychology Today, says that you get a dopamine release from gaming, which is also known as the "happiness hormone". This helps improve your mood and overall well-being. Work-Life Balance immediately comes to mind, and different genre's can serve up different benefits to a degree as well. Open-world and sandbox games allow for creativity and freedom, which is why some of us (i'm in this boat as well) can get wrapped into a game for hours because it gives us the tools to build.
You also have your cognitive benefits that help with problem-solving, mindfulness and flow, etc. So for those of you who find yourselves busy busy and stressed out, consider picking up a game controller.
