12 Centering Techniques For Gamers When Dealing with Stress and Anxiety
Tips for gamers to help deal with stress and anxiety and slow the spinning thoughts from an overwhelmed mind.
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Most of us find ourselves stressed out from time to time. Stress is a normal part of life as we juggle the demands of home, work, school, and society. But that stress can become too much for some of us, and we may find ourselves overwhelmed. We may feel distracted, and it can become difficult to focus on the tasks that need our attention.
As gamers, a 2020 survey found that over a third of us have experienced anxiety or other stress-related disorders multiple times during the previous year. This stress takes a toll on our health and relationships.
One of the more frustrating challenges when feeling overwhelmed is that our minds get stuck in this way of thinking. Our minds may race from one stressful thought to another, and we are in this stress loop, adding more anxiety. We need to find a way to calm our minds and step out of this stressful thinking.
The next time you’re dealing with feeling overwhelmed, try one of these tips for gamers to help re-center yourself and bring your mind back to the present so you can concentrate on getting your projects to the next level.
“When life gets hard, it means you just leveled up.”
- Anonymous
Take a Break for a Cut Scene
After we’ve defeated a big boss or turned in a challenging quest, many video games will reward us with a cutscene. It helps move the story along, adds immersion, and gives us a brief break from gameplay. When we get overwhelmed in real life, it might be time for a cut scene break.
Take a moment to step back from what you’re struggling with. Purposely shift your focus elsewhere. Look out elsewhere and really focus. Pay attention to the details, the colors, the shapes, and the patterns. Personally, I like to look out the window, but it can be anything, a picture, artwork, even a dungeon map. The idea is to give our racing minds something else to focus on intently and help break the cycle of stressful thinking.
Regain Your Stamina Points
When we get stressed out, we breathe faster, and our breaths are more shallow. We’re like that character that tries to run across the map but runs out of stamina points. Out of breath, they end up in a slow walk instead.
When we focus on our breathing, we can slow it down and calm our minds. Try breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, bringing awareness to the rise and fall of the chest and abdomen to fully engage the diaphragm. Breathing exercises can slow racing thoughts and let us refill that stamina bar.
Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.
- Thich Nhat Hanh
Get into Your Character
While our minds and bodies are one, there are times that stressful thoughts keep us stuck in our heads. Being more in touch with your physical form can help bring us back to the present. Take physical actions to reconnect your mind and body.
Try wiggling your toes, stretching, getting a drink, or just switching positions like standing or sitting. This reconnection with your physical body can help break out of the stagnant thoughts cycling our heads and help to center yourself.
Add a Soundtrack
The right music can really make a game special. When we’re stressed out, the right music can also calm our minds. Researchers have found that the best music for anxiety has a simple melody, slow tempo, and consistent percussion without many distracting changes.
Neuroscientists found that the world’s most relaxing song is Weightless by Marconi Union, developed in conjunction with the British Academy of Sound Therapy.
Classical and ambient music tends to be the most calming for many. However, music preferences are highly subjective. While a Zelda & Chill mix might be relaxing for one, another would rather listen to a tavern ambience or even a gaming EDM.
Create a Centering Spell
In fantasy stories, the magician must use magic words in order to cast a spell. While we may not be able to cast magic missiles in reality, we can use sounds and words to create a spell of calming.
A mantra is a sound or statement, said aloud or silently to focus on one’s thoughts. An example is the sound of “om,” often used in mediation and yoga practices. Positive affirmations can also be used as a mantra to reduce stress. In times of stress, a mantra is repeated to oneself to produce a calming effect. Examples of affirmations that could be used as personal calming spells are: “I am enough,” “I got this,” or “I beat [insert the hardest dungeon monster/video game you have ever defeated], this is nothing.”
Focus on a Mini-Fireball
Fire has been used as a focusing technique for thousands of years. While watching the dancing flames, our thoughts slow down, and we relax. Even the smallest fireball on a candle tip can have the same effect.
Candles also have the benefit of being able to combine the hypnotic effect of the firelight and aromatherapy. Researchers have found that certain smells can reduce anxiety. Examples include lavender, bergamot, and ylang-ylang.
Lavender has been used since the Middle Ages. A 2018 study showed that it reduced symptoms of calm anxiety and restlessness. Most commonly found in Earl Grey tea, bergamot has also been shown to reduce stress. And ylang-ylang, from the Canaga tree, has been seen to reduce cortisol levels and promote relaxation.
Check out one of these gamer candles for a time-out with a mini-fireball:
Spend Time With Your Familiar
Spending time with a pet can help us feel less lonely. We often feel very isolated when we’re feeling anxious and overwhelmed.
Petting an animal has been shown to slow our heart rate, reduce muscle tension, and improve stress and anxiety symptoms. But it doesn’t have to be a furry friend. Studies have shown that even petting the hard shellback of a turtle can have positive effects.
For those that are less about wild-shaping druids and more into herbology and potions, plants can also be a familiar. Spending time with indoor plants can also reduce stress. A study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology saw that smelling or touching a plant can reduce symptoms of anxiety.
Play a Game
Sometimes we need to distract ourselves from our anxious thoughts. Playing your favorite video game can be a form of self-care. Gaming allows us a sense of escapism and can make us feel accomplished when we complete a level or beat a difficult boss. However, there can be too much time spent gaming like any good thing. Be careful not to rely on gaming as your only form of treating stress and anxiety. (Read more about how gaming and anxiety – Can Gaming Help With Anxiety?)
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
—Anne Lamott
Group Up with Other Players
Life is not a single-player game, but dealing with stress can make us feel very alone. Sometimes a chat or text with a friend can help. When we listen to other people, our mind is focused outside of ourselves. Talking with others can help break that chain of spiraling internal thoughts.
A gamer survey found that 64% of gamers said that interacting with other players helped them have a “stronger feeling of being connected to others.” Inside and outside of the game, connecting with other players can have a positive effect. (Read more on the importance of working with others - Real Life Party Members and Traveling Companions)
Activate an Energy Boost
Sitting all day and having a sedentary lifestyle can have negative effects on our overall health. Slouching can impact our breathing. Not caring for our bodies can generally contribute to poorer mood and higher stress levels.
Getting the blood flowing with some physical activity can help us feel more centered and physically grounded. There are numerous benefits from exercise including mood-boosting endorphins and stress reduction.
Taking a break to exercise, from a short walk to a rigorous workout, can be like getting an energy boost for our mood and mental state.
“Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of great anxiety.”
– Plato
Seek the Good Alignment
When we’re stressed, it’s easy to focus only on the negative. But looking for the positives in our lives can help remind us that things are not so bad. Positivity allows helps with grounding ourselves for mental health.
In a moment of overwhelm, list ten things that make you happy and that you are grateful for. It can be big or small, but the act of gratitude can help break us out of the prison of negativity and stress.
The 54321 Technique For Anxiety
This exercise is similar to some of the above tips. This technique forces us out of our minds and into the present by focusing on our surroundings.
5 - List five things you can see right now.
It may be your desk, your mouse, the D&D books on the shelf, etc. Notice the details. What are the colors, the materials, etc.?
4 - List four things that you can touch right now.
It can be how your shoes feel or the sweater on your skin. Notice if the desk metal is cold. Is the chair fabric rough or soft? Are the mouse buttons more smooth on one side, etc.?
3 - Name three things you can hear.
It may be the faint sounds of a neighbor, computer fans, or the hum of equipment. Perhaps you can hear music or notice the clicking sounds from a keyboard. Just listen and see what you hear.
2 - Name two things you can smell.
It might be obvious, like food cooking or a candle on the table. Or it may be more subtle, like the faint smell of a cleaner or sanitizer or the hint of the smell of your shampoo lingering on your headphones.
1 - Name one thing you can taste.
It can be taking a sip of the drink or biting into a delicious snack. Or it may be just the faint aftertaste from an earlier coffee.
Going through this technique helps to ground us back into our five senses and help bring us into the present reality and get out of our mind loops of stressful thinking.
“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.”
- Charles Spurgeon
Conclusion
Stress can lead to serious health issues if left unchecked. We must take care of ourselves. Hopefully, some of these techniques can help you feel more centered when feeling overwhelmed.
There are times when calming techniques are not enough. If you find that dealing with stress and anxiety is particularly difficult, licensed professionals may help with symptoms. As someone with an anxiety disorder, I found therapy very helpful in taking back control. These centering techniques are based on my own experience and are not an alternative or substitution for treatment. If stress or anxiety regularly impacts your life, I encourage you to get professional assistance.
Author:
Laurie Trueblood is a writer and life coach that enjoys fantasy, science, psychology, and everything nerdy. As the founder of Adventures to Authenticity, her mission is to help others level up and become the best versions of themselves.
Read more about dealing with stress and anxiety: Can Gaming Help With Anxiety?, Green Lantern: Creativity, Fear, and the Power of Self-Expression and I’d Rather Be Looting a Dungeon – Gamers and Holiday Anxiety
