Whether you are one of the lucky ones who was already working from home, someone who is being told to work from home, or if you have been laid off due to the COVID-19 crisis, this is a difficult time for everyone. Not just those in America but all over the world. And it is not just that we have to work at home. We have to stay at home. No visits to your friends’ houses, restaurants, or other entertainment venues. This may be the perfect time to get into some serious gaming.
Video Gaming is Not Bad for You
Although video games have gotten a bad reputation for the most part, many of these games can actually be good for your mental health. In fact, even if it is not a game or app specially made for anxiety, just taking your mind off the craziness going on around you can be a big anxiety reducer. This does not mean you should sit and play games all day long. That would not be good for your physical or mental health. But playing games in moderation is a fantastic way to break up the monotony of sitting around the house all day, every day, until this coronavirus has run its course.
Keeping Your Mind Sharp
Not only are games good to take your mind off of the stress of daily issues, but they can also help your memory. We can all use a little help in that aspect, right? Most games require that you do a lot of memorizing things like patterns, what buttons to push, and where to go next in whatever world you may be playing in. Stimulating your memory keeps your mind sharp. If you have ever heard the saying, “use it or lose it,” that is really true in this case. As we grow older, our cognitive abilities start declining. So, it is important to keep using your brain every day doing new things like playing video games, playing mind games like crosswords, or writing in a journal.
Writing it Down
Journaling is an excellent way to stay sane while being stuck at home. If you write down your thoughts and feelings, you may be surprised when you go back and read them a few weeks from now. Some days you may be feeling depressed and lonely, and writing in a journal helps you get those feelings out. Sometimes that is all it takes to make you feel better. Other times, you may need to talk to someone who is experienced with these types of feelings.
Talking to a Professional
If you are feeling overwhelmed, extremely sad, lonely, or stressed out, you should talk to someone who can help. You don’t have to set and appointment and go to an office to get this help. Choosing online counseling can be the best idea there is, especially now with this “shelter in place” quarantine going on all over the world. The good thing is that you don’t have to make an appointment. In fact, you don’t even have to get up and get dressed. BetterHelp online therapy has more than a thousand licensed mental health professionals who are available to help 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
Marie Miguel Biography
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
Agnes is a technical writer, being in touch with reports to come up with the latest tech leaks.
