Playing Video Games Effectively Reduces Work-Related Stress, Experts Say
Conventional wisdom may advise a person to relax when stressed, but new research finds that spending break time playing casual video games reduces work-related stress more effectively. The study advises people who are stressed out at work to take short breaks by doing fun activities to recharge.
In the study, researchers analyzed 66 people — 20 men and 46 women — to assess their baseline mood. After completing a computer-based task that induced cognitive fatigue, the participants were divided into three groups doing different activities for five minutes.
One group played the casual video game "Sushi Cat," another participated in a guided relaxation activity, and the members of the third one were made to sit idly in the study room without using a phone or computer. Researchers then assessed their stress, mood, and concentration for the last time.
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The results revealed that those who played video games felt better and had improved focus. Those who took part in the relaxation activity, on the other hand, felt less negative. While those who took a "silent break" felt disengaged from work, which caused them to worry.
"People should plan short breaks to make time for an engaging and enjoyable activity, such as video games, that can help them recharge," said study author Michael Rupp, a doctoral student in human factors and cognitive psychology at the University of Central Florida.
Rupp's findings are similar to that of a 2014 study which found a positive correlation between playing video games with recovering from work fatigue. First-person shooters like "Counterstrike" and action games were shown to be most effective in decreasing work-related stress.
Another 2009 study revealed that video games can boost a person's physical, mental, and emotional health by releasing dopamine and stress hormones that improve the player's state of mind and their overall mood. Video games also provide players with temporary relief from anxieties and put them in a world where they are in control.
