We do not stop playing because we grow

old, we grow old because we stop playing.

~George Bernard Shaw

Take a break, play a game, help relieve your stress and anxiety. In our hustle and bustle world we need a way to re-energize. I find that taking the time to play a quick game of solitaire distracts me, helps me relax and enables me to get back to the task at hand. Studies are showing that taking a short break in the day to play a game (online or in person) can help relieve stress and help refocus our attention.

What is your favorite game? For me, the answer is not as simple as you would think. My favorite game depends on my mood and company. When I need a quick break, I usually hop on my phone and play a quick game from a downloaded app. More often, however, I want to feel the cards or the game pieces, roll the dice, and get lost in the game. When the game ends, whether I won or lost, as long as it was a fair, friendly, and challenging competition, just playing the game makes me feel better.

Another invigorating aspect of playing games with people is learning different variations of games, especially the more common games, such as, canasta, pinochle, and gin rummy. It seems as though every time I meet someone new and we begin to play one of those games, we inevitably run into a place where we play different variations. Learning new variations is always invigorating.

The knowledge that games are good for you is something that we have known for a long time. Research is catching up and beginning to demonstrate that games are good for us. Studies have shown that people who regularly play games have lower incidence of depression, and anxiety, as well as increased patience, and good sportsmanship. A study in France followed over 1000 people for a period of 20 years. Researchers found that the incidence of dementia was lower in the game playing population.

What does this all mean? Give yourself a break. Play games!

See you at the tables!

Bernadette
Game Friendzy

Further Reading

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3758967/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380050/

https://bpsmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13030-019-0164-1

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/kids-activities-and-printables/activities-for-kids/arts-and-craft-ideas/benefits-board-games.html