5 Surprisingly Powerful Benefits Of Playing Games
Game on!
Ready for a game changer? It’s time to boost your mind, mood and more. Playtime has so much magic. And not just for kids either!
In this post, I’m going to help you shake off the belief that games are just for kids and start seeing them as tools you can and should use to help you succeed and become more productive in life.
I’m breaking down 5 ways to find success in life with games. Any and all games. So even if you ‘hate games’ like some people I know, you can still find the perfect game/tool to help you.
1. Reduce stress.
If you want to start crushing your goals you have to stop stressing about those goals.
This is #1 on the list because according to the American Psychological Association, 2020, “Nearly half of all U.S. adults (49%) say that stress has negatively affected their behavior.” (SingleCare)
Be careful not to let this happen to you. When you are stressed you don’t think clearly and are more likely to make decisions that will not benefit you now or in the future.
Your behaviour will not be governed by logical, clear thinking. Instead, you respond to the way you feel when stressed - overwhelmed, frustrated and stuck - and you make decisions while in that state.
When you feel stressed, it’s time to stop what you are doing and work on calming down. Playing games is an excellent stress relieving activity.
Your brain relaxes as you focus on the game which can help you to think logically and make better decisions. If you can play a fun game that makes you laugh, that’s even better!
Did you know that laughter, humour and playing can help relieve physical symptoms of stress, calm you down and connect with other people?
Make games a regular part of your routine and watch your stress melt away and help you to make decisions that will not affect you in a negative way.
Here’s a great option for a barrel of laughs: Jackbox Games.
Guess who won it.
You connect to an online room using your phone or tablet and play against other people who are also connected to the same room. You make up crazy, fun stuff that will have you ROFL for hours!
I love Party Pack 4. Give it a try if you haven’t already.
2. Develop critical thinking skills.
This is a serious roadblock to success - not having critical thinking skills. And I’m not saying that you are foolish. Not at all.
I’m saying that many people have no idea how to work through problems to find the best solution available to them at the moment. It’s a skill that either wasn’t taught to them or they missed steps in the process.
If that’s you, have no fear. Games can help with that.
I remember when I first started playing Angry Birds 2. I thought it was the silliest thing ever but I couldn’t help playing it. If you’re unfamiliar with the game, watch the Official Gameplay Trailer on Youtube:
As the levels got harder I realised that the techniques that I used to pass earlier levels had to change.
I had to now decide:
Which bird do I launch first?
What’s the best angle to launch from?
Should I use my specials now or save them for later?
If I started a level with 3 different birds and I realised the one I chose first wasn’t strong enough to crack or shake an object, how many times would I keep starting with that same bird before I decided I had to choose a different one?
I had to adjust my thinking.
Identify the problem.
Understand the options I had.
Figure out which option was best and the order to perform attacks on those egg stealing pigs.
If we can’t work our way through a game, how can we work our way through real life problems? More than likely we’ll keep doing the same thing and going around in circles getting frustrated and never actually going forward.
Find good critical thinking games and let the process of succeeding in the game guide you in your own life.
3. Supercharge your creativity.
There are 4 C’s to 21st Century skills. These are core skills that we need to have in order to be successful and thrive in this period. They are:
Creativity
Critical thinking
Communication
Collaboration
Let’s focus on creativity for a moment.
Gone are the days where we could keep doing the same thing everyday and live a successful life.
We have to think outside the box. Truth be told, many of the biggest and most popular brands out there are so successful because they thought outside the box.
Here’s a great example: HelloFresh.
They sell meal kits in the US. The kits come with the recipes you choose, the ingredients needed already measured out, all conveniently packed on ice and shipped all over the States.
In the past people created recipe books. Then we went to the era of finding recipes online.
But HelloFresh thought outside the box and provided the food already prepared so that, as their slogan says, you can ”Take the stress out of mealtime.”
What a great, creative idea!
Games are great for helping promote creativity. They help you to:
Brainstorm ideas
Get new perspectives
Free your mind
Remove mind blocks
When we play creative games they help us to think creatively in our own lives. Like Legos.
The sky’s the limit.
Give Legos a try. They are excellent tools for promoting creativity.
4. Make money.
Regardless of what your goals are, you will need money to fund them. If you take the time to play some games you may find some great money making opportunities.
I absolutely love games. I’m sure you know that by now. Within recent years I started playing Design games on my phone and tablet.
One of my favourites is Project Makeover. Here’s my current Director's profile.
Waiting on the dreads for my look.
It’s a Match 3 puzzle game where you have puzzles to solve. As you solve them you acquire the ability to buy clothing and accessories to give a character a much needed makeover. The more successful you are, the more you can upgrade your avatar’s look, home and style.
There’s a section on the game’s official website about Partnerships. Clothing brands can partner with the game to have 2D and 3D models of their clothing included in the game.
This provides excellent marketing opportunities for influencers and brands who can use the game to encourage engagements on social media and drive customers to their social media channels or website.
Bet you didn’t know that, huh?
Games aren’t just for passing the time and keeping children busy. They can provide real money making opportunities if you know where to look and have the skill set needed for that particular game.
5. Learn your strengths and weaknesses.
We are all great at something. But very often we focus on what we can’t do so well. This thinking keeps us back from succeeding in life.
Games can help with that.
I remember when I was a teen I went to a Youth retreat. During one of the sessions we played a team game. We had lots of laughs and loads of fun.
Afterwards, the leader engaged us in discussion and we started to talk about what we noticed in the game. Even though we were in different groups with different people, similar personality traits were seen in each group:
People who took charge.
People who sat back and waited on others to figure it out.
People who just wanted to follow orders.
People who tried to find a shortcut or downright cheated.
When you play games you get to find out who you are and where your strengths and weaknesses lie.
Do you wait on people to give you solutions to problems?
Do you just ‘do’ without thinking it through first?
Do you analyse things to death but never actually do anything?
Games are great for showing us who we are and how we approach problems. We can focus on our strengths while we work on our weaknesses. We can also identify areas in our lives where we need to ask others for help. This is a critical step for success.
Knowing when it’s time to involve someone else in our plans and to what extent.
Don’t just stumble through life winging it. Get together with some friends and play some great group games like What Do You Meme (Family Edition).
See what your strengths and weaknesses are. And use that knowledge to help you make positive and productive decisions in life.
Wrapping it up
I hope this post showed you that playing games has AMAZING benefits for you.
Check out my printable game Bible Verse Match. Build your faith, deepen your relationship with The Lord and supercharge your creativity while having a tonne of fun!
Start with a blank print out. Decorate it as you choose while following the step by step instructions. Match, learn and have a blast!
You can play by yourself or with your whole family. It’s a wonderful opportunity for building bonds and making memories with your loved ones.
So much fun!