“You should play more video games,” seems like saying, “You really need to watch more YouTube Shorts.” That’s what we’re not supposed to be doing, right? But when I tick items off my “to-do” list, rarely are any purely for fun and relaxation. Those are the things I do the least. I’m not talking mindless scrolling, but things that are truly fun. Pastimes like playing games take the lowest priority to any other thing I do.

And this is a L[oss] for me because games are good for the brain. Winston Churchill, who suffered from bipolar disorder, played a solitaire-like card game he invented every day of WWII. He said it kept him sharp and helped with stress. (He also took a nap for one hour every day — EVERY. DAY. — of the war.) Can’t argue with success: A game a day kept Hitler away.

And, while I came later in life to video games, I fell hard for Skyrim and Civilization. And though these are vastly different types of games — one fantasy roleplaying and the other a complex strategy game — they opened my eyes to the immense good that games and gaming offer.

You may have heard the term “gamified mindset.” All this really means is approaching life and its challenges as if it were a game, complete with the rewards games offer.

Video games encourage us to think ahead, make plans and develop strategies for success, in other words, problem solving skills. This is a biggie if you suffer from brain fog, Depression or have executive functioning issues. 

Games also provide a low-stakes opportunity to fail. Taking chances in a video game can end with ignominious death and/or defeat. But we get the opportunity to either keep trying until we master the challenge or learn to work with whatever questionable choices we have already made.

Either way, this builds emotional and mental resilience by allowing us to see that one loss is not the end of the world. The game is a safe space to be adventurous, to allow ourselves to try and fail and try again until we succeed.

Games help us work through frustration and anxiety, too. We can do things in games that real life doesn’t offer. That can look like playing a game as Darth Vader stalking around Force choking rebels, picking flowers on a broad tundra plain to use in alchemical potions, being a parkour champion assassin, tomb raiding as an intrepid and beautiful female archeologist or using a cunning blend of diplomacy, culture and war to attain world domination as Julius Caesar.

Games allow us to work through difficult feelings without getting arrested, self-harming, numbing with addictive substances or raging at others. And all that time we are giving our brains a problem to chew on that helps spend the energy we may have spent in an anxiety, depression or anger spiral instead on something harmless and fun.

Games give us a safe space to let our minds play. They are similar to books, movies and theater in that we get to have a new experience of something beautiful, terrifying or just silly. But they differ in that we are in the movie or book in a game. We are the character making choices, deciding how the scene will unfold. We get escapist joy, catharsis, new understanding while pretending to be someone else without any acting skills!

Some games can also give us deep emotional experiences, as any player of the Mass Effect series can say. Sometimes the consequences of our choices in games are upsetting. You did something, and now your BFF crew-mate is dead. And you just have to play through it. It’s a dress rehearsal for the challenges of life.

And lest we forget that most important of game features: rewards! Unlocking achievements, levelling up, gaining new abilities, powers, weapons, spells, houses, ships, clothes, armor and even friends feels so satisfying because that’s the point!

Part of the “gamified mindset” to life is rewarding yourself for achievements big and small. Did that thing on time? Woo-hoo! Get your favorite food to go. Got that thing you wanted? Have a little party for yourself (even if it’s just by yourself). Did that officially good for you thing? Hey, play a video game for the same amount of time at least once a week. Effectively eliminate the U-Boat threat to your shipping lanes? Have whiskey and a cigar then take a nap? (I’m guessing this is how Churchill celebrated.)

Giving ourselves credit and a pat on the back when we deserve it is normal and healthy. Games can teach us that. And those rewards help keep us going through the tough times that inevitably follow.

But mainly, games are fun. They are a break from life that still requires our thinking and acting but all in the safety of the game. They help us rest and reset ourselves while emerging from them with a new experience, sense of accomplishment and a fresh perspective.

Video games are a healthy way to spend some time off from life. How long is healthy is a choice for you to make. I’ve waded my way through some rough times with video games — just check out my Steam or XBox account hours spent in game. But, in the end, I came away from that time refreshed, up and even looking for new challenges. I’ve also emerged from those times with two key pieces of knowledge: That I can do a thing if I care enough to try. And if, for some reason I fail, I can handle it. I can try again or move on and work with what I got.

Yeah, so anyway Legends, games! Play them! I just wrote my blog for the week, guess what I’m going to do? Taxes! No. Play Skyrim, der.

Remember: A game a day kept Hitler away.

-J.Lakis

✌🏼💚🎮👍🏼👍🏼🥳

If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual violence please contact RAIIN, for Domestic Violence in the US contact The Hotline. Both are available 24/7 by phone or chat in English and Spanish.

If you’re considering suicide, self harm or have a mental health crisis: call or text 988 any time to talk or text with someone from the National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Hotline. Help is always available in English or Spanish. LGBTQ+ youth in crisis? Contact:  The Trevor Project.

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