How are you using your stimulus checks? CNBC’s Elizabeth Schultze mentions that about 5% of those surveyed admitted to spending part of their money on video games. Industry numbers also reflect this social distancing reality: Venture Beat revealed that North American game sales increased 35% in March 2020, while video gaming hardware sales jumped 63%.
Contrary to what you might think, these numbers aren’t a bad thing. After all, you can only organize your closet or kitchen cupboards so many times. Surprisingly enough, how our brains behave during gaming can unlock some useful applications for meditation. If you ever needed a reason to defend playing “Animal Crossing,” “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,” or “The Sims 4,” keep reading. As it turns out, meditation and gaming may hold keys to improving concentration, developing mental clarity, and combating anxiety.
Flow States, Meditation, and Video Games
Playing video games and meditation share a common mental component. Journalist Amelia Schmidt explains in a December 2016 Quartz piece that both activities involve the brain’s “flow state.” If you’ve ever felt “in the zone” while writing, practicing yoga, painting, or playing a sport, your brain entered a flow state. Your attention focused so much on your activity that everything else around you seemed to disappear.
Scientists have tried to better understand how flow states work. Journalist Alice Robb discusses how psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defined the concept in a February 2019 BBC article. Seeking to discover why the creative process brought peace and happiness, he spoke to visual artists and musicians. They described how they became ecstatically absorbed in their pursuit, not needing to stop and think while also losing track of time.
Flow states can feel incredible, but they’re sometimes difficult to achieve. Both meditation and gaming require practitioners to develop mental skills. Concentration is key to either activity, whether you’re repeating a mantra or aiming a virtual crossbow. You may not think of yourself as gaining EXP while meditating, but you do refine and improve your skills with continued practice.
Bringing Together Gaming and Meditation
As Schmidt expressed in her article, some app developers have “connected the dots” between video games, meditation, and flow. They’ve created meditation apps that function like games, with simple mechanics and rewards for reaching specific goals. These games’ purpose is to create the ideal balance between skill development and helping users mentally shift into flow states.
A key point to remember is that everyone’s preferences are different. As journalist Kate Spicer points out in another BBC piece, some people find adrenaline-fueled experiences rewarding. Trying to outlast a platoon of invading turians in “Mass Effect” may trigger a serious dopamine rush, giving your brain more of the valuable neurotransmitter that helps with memory, focus, and a generally positive sense of well-being. Others find video game combat to be stressful, so building a town in “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” might offer a better way for them to enter flow states.
Blogging for Shut Up and Yoga, Michael Goleniewski adds that treating games with a meditative approach requires a proper mindset: enjoying the gaming experience in the moment, accepting problems encountered, and then letting those problems go. His recommendations include “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” and “Minecraft,” but it is important to choose an experience that best supports your goals and needs.
Balance and Moderation Are Vital
By now, you may feel that all those hours gaming helped you achieve worthwhile goals. While you’re blowing off steam shooting bad guys or building your virtual dream home, remember to practice other good coping skills for sheltering in place. Verywell Mind suggests maintaining a daily routine, staying active, and staying in contact with friends and family. With structure and moderation, your gaming time can be part of a balanced life.