5 Things to do When Gaming Just Isn’t Doing it for You

As much as we love gaming, sometimes it just doesn’t sound fun. I’ve seen plenty of posts on social media asking what people do to get over their gaming slumps, so I thought I’d share what I do when gaming just isn’t doing it for me:

1.Take a walk.

Literally anywhere. Staring at screens for too long (between phone, computer and TV, it can be a lot) is usually what’s putting me off from gaming. I tend to feel drained and sometimes frustrated if I’ve spent too much time engaging with screens. Taking a break and looking at things in natural light usually helps refresh my eyes and brain and I can get back to whatever I was playing. This is a great solution for short-term fatigue, imo.

2.  Read something.

As someone who is still in a rut when it comes to reading, I’m not suggesting reading a whole book (though, if you can, get it!). But reading something, even if it’s just one article, a short story, comic, or even a chapter or paragraph of a book usually helps to shake up my mindset by engaging in something that I genuinely don’t do that often. If you are an avid reader who has gaming-block, maybe try reading something you usually wouldn’t to get your brain going in a different direction.

3. Binge watch that show you’ve been putting off.

At the end of the day, gaming is just one form of entertainment. At least in my experience, I usually get put off from gaming when I want to be entertained/experience a story, but don’t want to actually interact with it. In those instances, I like to watch the TV shows I’ve been putting off en lieu of video games. After binging a series, I’ve usually felt passive enough to start craving a more interactive experience again. (Honestly, this goes for books/comics too).

4. Spend a night listening to podcasts.

Load up a few episodes of your favorite podcasts and just listen to them without doing anything else. Don’t mess with your phone or other electronics, just clear your head and enjoy the shows to their fullest. If you’re not into podcasts yet, spend the evening trying out some that sound interesting and see what sticks. Listening to a podcast as the main event instead of something in the background is one of my favorite ways to relax and reset my brain for the night.

5. Do something productive.

What that means is up to you. Clean something, call someone you’ve been meaning to get in touch with but haven’t gotten around to, go to the gym, do your meal prep, prepare your stuff for the next day, take your meds, drink some water, whatever feels like will be a good use of your time. If you can’t get into gaming, use that time to do something that will make you feel accomplished, whether it’s a huge task you’ve been putting off, or something simple that will help get you through the day or make tomorrow better. Taking care of these kinds of things now can pay off down the road when you feel like gaming again and you don’t have to worry about  doing laundry or if you answered your emails.