The Link Between Video Games and Stress Relief

Today is the international Stress Awareness Day, and guess what? Video games can be excellent stress relievers!

April 16th, 2019

Video games can provide us with a safe and fun outlet for developing our emotional awareness and coping skills. Most games reward players for being able to manage their emotions.

Moreover, recent studies show that action-based video games not only reduce stress but can sharpen cognitive abilities such as reaction speed.

Overall, there is significant evidence that video games are not only fun, but they can be great stress relievers as well for many reasons.

Here are some recommended video games to help relieve stress:

• Casual Games such as Tomodachi Life, Pokemon X, and Animal Crossing
• Cooperative Games, meaning games that involve challenges that can be completed with other players.
• Games With an Explicit Stress Management Component like Champions of the Shengha.
• Games That Build Skills such as Brain Age, Brain Age 2, Brain Age Concentration Training or Big Brain Academy.
• Games You Enjoy – any game that you truly enjoy can be a stress reliever. Virtually any game that you find to be truly fun can be beneficial by providing an escape from daily stress, a break from patterns of rumination, or a way to build positive feelings. 

To find out more read the full article written by Elizabeth Scott, MS here.