Engage with any challenging game you enjoy to build confidence in your ability to learn, teach yourself, and develop new skills, even if you start out poorly. This fosters a resilient growth mindset applicable to real-life challenges.
To transfer game benefits to real life, regularly reflect on and discuss what skills you’ve improved, what personality traits it requires, and the hardest things you’ve accomplished in games, and how you achieved them. Consider keeping a game journal for self-reflection.
Engage in incredibly small, positive actions daily, such as taking three steps or sending a thank-you text, to force your brain to activate dopamine pathways. This helps generate feelings of happiness, success, and hope, especially during difficult times.
After a concussion, actively seek ways to believe in a positive future, as your brain’s protective mechanisms can induce depression by shutting down motivation pathways. You must overcompensate for this biological response to stay engaged and optimistic.
Avoid prolonged bed rest during concussion recovery; instead, gradually increase activity up to a threshold that is 10% below what triggers your symptoms. Consistently pushing this limit helps with recovery, as lying in bed all day is not beneficial.
Incorporate anti-inflammatory practices like increasing turmeric in your diet, eating walnuts or fatty fish, and practicing meditation to help alleviate physical concussion symptoms. A lot of the headaches and brain fog come from inflammation.
For prolonged challenges like post-concussion syndrome, actively seek and use tools that help you stay optimistic and prevent falling into a negative cycle of depression and anxiety. This is crucial as the longer the recovery, the more important it is to maintain hope.
If you experience a concussion, prioritize brain rest during the first three days to a week, as this is a critical period for initial recovery. Avoid further injury during this time.
If gaming increases as real-life problems intensify, actively shift attention to addressing those real-world issues (e.g., school, relationships, health) for a few hours, then return to gaming. This prevents a downward spiral where games become the only source of progress or connection.
Encourage children to follow their authentic curiosities and passions, allowing them time and attention to teach themselves and build intrinsic motivation. This approach fosters resilience and helps them develop skills much faster than forced learning.
To prepare for the future of work, which will increasingly involve virtual collaboration and complex problem-solving akin to games like Fortnite, play challenging video games to develop relevant skills. This can be a valuable way to get ready for evolving job markets.
Consistently playing the same multiplayer game with the same people can foster a sense of social support in everyday life. This makes you more likely to connect with others for help or companionship, creating a valuable safety net.
If experiencing flashbacks or rumination from a traumatic event, play an attention-focusing game like Tetris right before bed to hijack your brain’s attention and visual centers. This can make it less likely to lie in bed with negative thoughts, nightmares, or uncontrollable flashbacks.
For better retention of study material, have kids play video games first, then do homework, and then study before going to sleep. This ensures their brain focuses on academic material rather than game challenges during rest.
To make unthinkable or unimaginable future scenarios seem more plausible, vividly imagine and tell stories about yourself within those worlds. This mental exercise makes them feel more real, helping your brain accept possibilities and adapt faster when they occur.
Pre-think and make plans for what you would do if the internet and mobile phones were shut down by the government. This is a plausible future scenario for various reasons, including misinformation control, and being prepared can prevent being frozen by disruption.
To interrupt ingrained patterns of thinking and open your mind to information counter to current beliefs, engage with strong emotions like anger, anxiety, or envy when considering new scenarios or facts. Strong emotions can jolt the brain into rethinking its strategies.
Regularly ask yourself why you are playing a particular game and why you chose to play it at that moment, articulating the ‘why’ behind your choice. This practice helps develop greater clarity in all your life decisions and self-knowledge.
Allow children to play games popular within their peer group, as the social confidence and cultural currency gained from shared experiences often outweigh parental discomfort with minor content concerns. Being part of that culture is important for young kids.
Engage in conversations with your children about game content, including potentially problematic elements, and share your personal preferences or values (e.g., not enjoying in-game violence). This fosters their reflection and critical thinking about their choices.
To prevent potential negative impacts on physical or mental health, ensure gaming time does not exceed 21 hours per week. Studies have not found negative impacts below this threshold, making it a safe guideline.
When incorporating gaming into a routine, establish strict time limits, such as 90 minutes, before switching to other tasks like schoolwork. This helps manage screen time effectively and ensures balance.
Unless dealing with trauma or rumination, engage in learning, reading, or other personal growth activities before bed. This helps your brain retain that information more effectively, as it will be the most salient problem your brain focuses on during sleep.