Mindfulness is undoubtedly one of the more prominent trends of recent years, with dozens of apps emerging to help one achieve a state of mental and emotional wellbeing.  Heuristically it’s easy to portray such apps as the polar opposite of your typical video game, with its sensory overload and excessive stimuli, but a new study from University College London suggests that digital games may actually be better at relieving stress than a mindfulness app.

Volunteers were given a 15 minute maths test to stress them out, before then being asked to play either a shape-fitting game (ala Tetris) or use a mindfulness app, with a control group given a fidget-spinner toy instead.

Those in the game playing group revealed that they felt less tired and more energised after playing than those in both of the other groups, who actually felt more tired and sluggish.

Energised after work

A second group of volunteers were then put through a similar scenario to see whether the stresses of work could be effectively buffered by a video game.  Volunteers were asked to play the same game when they arrived home from work for five days, and as before, they reported feeling more relaxed than their peers who were instead asked to use the mindfulness app.

“Far from feeling guilty about being absorbed by their phone, people who play such games after a stressful day at work should know they are likely to be gaining a real benefit,” the researchers say.  “To protect our long-term health and well-being, we need to be able to unwind and recuperate after work. Our study suggests playing digital games can be an effective way to do this.”

So why do games work so well?  The authors believe a number of factors are at play.  Firstly, they tend to be relaxing, but they also provide us with a chance to master new skills.  They’re also highly immersive and so distract us from our daily troubles, while also giving players a sense of control.

So if you want to relax after a hard day at work, perhaps an enjoyable video game is something to consider.