The world of gaming is constantly evolving and expanding, creating new features and experiences along the way and more people are now becoming a part of the gaming ecosystem either as a hobby or a profession.

Millions of young people all over the world are becoming immersed in the virtual world, and while this is good as it provides an avenue for relaxation, reduces loneliness and social interaction, and helps in learning new skills like problem-solving it could also negatively affect your mental health.

Your mental health has to do with your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. How you think, the actions you take, your reactions to situations and people, and how you handle stress and make choices are all impacted by your mental health.

While gaming provides a lot of good stuff, it is important to understand the balance between indulging in the act and your well-being. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has tagged gaming disorder as a mental health condition and emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance to the activity.

How To Avoid Burnouts As A Gamer

Set Time Limits

It is a regular practice for gamers to get carried away in the world of virtual reality where they embody their gaming character and do all they can to succeed in their quest for victory.

However, gamers must know when to stop by setting a stimulated amount of time to be spent on playing games daily without extending them.

If you start feeling irritable or frustrated, unplug. Get up and engage in other activities that don’t involve staring at a screen and cursing at keypads. This will not only help your eyes refocus but might give new insights into the game you’re playing. 

Setting time limits will also help you get to other activities that you should be investing your time in such as cleaning your room and physical interaction with other humans.

Active Social Interaction

There are rumors that most gamers are introverts and they engage with other people online to communicate and live out their fantasies. While communicating with the outside world is a good thing, it can also negatively affect your mental health.

Interacting physically with esports team members and those around you can help improve your overall well-being by increasing your ability to recover from stress, anxiety, and depression.

Studies also show that a lack of social interaction could lead to higher risks of heart disease, and cognitive deterioration. As much as you love sitting in front of your screen all day and bonding with your gaming friends, try to meet people physically outside of the game and hang out doing other fun physical activities.

Regular Physical Exercise and Eating Properly

Research has shown that children who play video games tend to be overweight and have poor eating habits.

Also, according to a study carried out by researchers at the University of New Hampshire, “College men who play video games tend to exercise less and have poorer eating habits compared to non-gamers”.

Gamers tend to sit in the same spot over an extended period while consuming snacks rather than actual meals and thus pose a danger to their health leading to depression and chronic diseases later in life.

One good way to avoid this is to regularly go for walks or bike rides, exercise daily, do push-ups which are good for the heart, and have a fitness routine, incorporating some hands, wrists, and finger exercise into your routine will also do you some good.

Furthermore, make it a habit to get up and eat actual food or healthy snacks, not junk in-between gaming.

Stop Skipping Sleep Time

Sleeping is a good way to help your brain and body relax after a long day. Staying awake all day and into the night could stress your body and brain making you function less properly.

Sleeping helps to reduce your stress level and the earlier you realize and start practicing it more often, the better for you.

When you notice that you’re having frequent burnouts, rather than giving up completely on gaming, take time to properly take care of yourself by taking breaks, engaging with other people, exercising regularly, eating properly, and getting enough sleep. Don’t ignore your mental health.

Last Updated on August 29, 2023