April is National Stress Awareness month. A time dedicated to building knowledge about stress, depression, and anxiety and their many effects on the human body. Every year, there’s a new theme to coincide with the topic, and this year’s is #LeadWithLove, an excellent choice. It “empowers [us] to approach ourselves and others with kindness, compassion, and acceptance, no matter the challenges we face.” One of the best ways to love thyself, and to take care of yourself, specifically, is to include some much-needed downtime in your schedule. Time to relax, unwind, and take a break from the rigors of conventional society.

What an ideal way to take a break than to play some video games? Once vilified, in many ways, today, people recognize how formative games can be. Not just for hand-eye coordination and the human brain, but also for relieving stress. With that in mind, Mobile Premier League (MPL) has shared some enlightening stats. They reveal the many ways in which gaming helps you relax and reduce stress.

1. It promotes relaxation and improves your mood

Believe it or not, when COVID-19 hit, people turned to video games and general entertainment for stress relief. It makes sense, because many of the activities you’d normally engage in were unavailable due to social distancing and the need to stay home. That helped introduce these stats from a 2021 study, which revealed that there was a 71% increase in playing time amongst participants, with 58% of those players sharing that gaming positively impacted their well-being.

Moreover, players made it clear that stress relief was a primary reason for gaming. Not just during the pandemic, but regularly, as well. Out of respondents, 71% feel that video games are an ideal stress reliever — as outlined in a United Nations report.

Video games help promote a state of relaxation for the body and mind, which can, in turn, improve your mood.

2. It creates an immersive “flow” state

Source: Jessica Lewis / Thepaintedsquare / Unsplash

Named after the psychological concept of “flow,” in video games, which induces a state of unawareness and immersion, psychologists credit nearly all games as being particularly effective at introducing this experience to players. Why does that matter? Because when you’re in a “flow” state, you’re more concentrated, more engaged, and effectively spend less time engaging with everyday stressors.

You’re relaxing and having fun, in most cases, which means it’s a valid form of stress relief, scientifically.

3. It fosters social connection and community

Source: Samsung Memory / Unsplash

While single player and solo experiences are a major part of the gaming world, so are social and community-based experiences. Gaming socially, in-person and online can help with stress management. Positive social connections help buffer against the negative effects of stress.

In fact, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reveals that 88% of players enjoy gaming with others, online or in-person. Even better, 74% of those players play with others weekly, while an additional 55% of players agree gaming helps introduce them to new friends. In today’s world, which is increasingly divided by modern topics and challenges, and increasingly isolated by remote technologies, that’s a huge net positive — video games introduce accessible and positive social experiences for everyone.

4. It delivers accessible relief for all ages

I have long been a proponent of video games for all ages. No, you don’t want younger audiences playing mature games, but the same is true for mature movies and shows. But there are age-appropriate video games out there for almost everyone. When it comes to stress, video games appeal to a wide variety of age groups, helping with the conventional issues that plague society.

The ESA report (shared above) says that 61% of the population plays video games for at least one hour a week, spanning a ton of different ages. To drive that point home, 29% of those players are aged 50 or older, compared to a low 9% of players back in 1999. More and more people are seeing the value in the activity and joining in the fun, which is a boon for video games, in general.

Although the focus is National Stress Awareness month, now’s a good time to mention how video games help improve the brain cognitively, as well. I’m certain I hear the old battle cry, “but video games rot your brain!” Actually, the region of the brain that controls attention has been found to be more effective in gamers. Gamers, versus non-gamers, require less activation to stay focused on demanding tasks. Evidence also demonstrates games increase the size and competence of parts of the brain responsible for visuospatial skills.

5. It helps combat specific mental health challenges

Because of how video games challenge the mind, they’re now being recognized in psychology and scientifically for their potential to address specific mental health challenges. Many of them are developed, from the ground up, to engage in cognitive thinking and behavioral therapy.

A Trends in Psychology study showed that playing “Flower” measurably reduced physiological stress markers, similar to what people experience when meditating. Players saw their heart rate decrease from an average of 76.58 beats per minute to 71.50 beats per minute. Systolic blood pressure also decreased from 120.33 mmHg to 113.09 mmHg across all participants. Certain games can make you feel more relaxed and more Zen, lowering heart rates, blood pressure, and beyond. Some of these body factors, like high blood pressure, also contribute to elevated mental health concerns. Alleviating or lowering them can be good for physical health, too.

You still need to adopt a healthy balance

Moderation and balance are key. You still need to maintain healthy habits, including introducing exercise into your routine, and not remaining sedentary all day. Gaming becomes too excessive when it starts to interfere with the other facets of your life, such as sleep, school, work, play, and general social interactivity. In other words, you need to take a break now and then — which is universally understood, I think.

Set clear and reasonable time limits before you play, and choose games that are genuinely relaxing to you. Try to avoid games that you do not find fun or that supercharge your stress. I’m looking at you competitive shooter players who get very angry.

April is National Stress Awareness Month

Either way, this is an excellent time to consider how video games play into Stress Awareness Month, and society’s greater stress relief measures. It’s clear, video games aren’t just for children, and all those politicians who claim they’re a drain on society are likely wrong. Honestly, I’d argue the opposite and say that politicans are the real drain on society, but we’ll leave that for another discussion.

This story was originally shared by Mobile Premier League (MPL).