Three Reasons Why Adults Should Still be Playing Games

“Don’t grow up, it’s a trap!” says the famous quote. And most of us would probably agree, adulthood with its obligations, expectations, stress, does seem a lot more complicated than the life of a carefree child. But as ideal, as it sounds, being Peter Pan is simply not possible. 

What is possible however is to keep the child within us even as we grow old: make sure we have some free time with our family and friends, laugh as often as possible, and avoid overthinking, but rather enjoy the moment when one has a chance. 

To find the kid inside of us and travel back to childhood at least for a little while, playing games can help us a lot. It has multiple benefits for our mental health and lifestyle. In this article, we give you the three biggest reasons to continue playing games as a grown-up and keep your child-self close to you. 

Helps to cope with stress 

Everybody feels stressed from time to time because it is actually part of our survival mechanism: stress prepares us to face or avoid danger as it activates all of our body functions we need to do so. It can be of great help when facing life challenges, but when it gets too much it can harm us in multiple ways. It reduces our ability to control emotions, and in the long run, it can cause different types of diseases. 

The good news is, coping with stress can be as simple as child’s play, because engaging in a game with your kids will release endorphins and make you feel good instantly because this chemical is your body’s natural response to too much stress. A simple game will just help your body let it out when needed. 

If you still do not have children or, this type of play is not your cup of tea, do not worry: a similar thing will happen if you engage in some sport activity. Not a fan of sports or worried that the need to win will cause you even more stress? That is okay because actually, a simple game on your phone can be equally beneficial and helpful like what we mentioned above and will make you stress-free at least for a little while. 

Helps you socialize 

Do you remember how easy it was to make friends when we were children? And how easy it was to keep those friendships? Adulthood, unfortunately, brings many obstacles into our social lives, making it complicated to make and keep friends. We get too busy and not spontaneous enough, among other things. 

Playing games that involve multiple players is a great solution for this as well. Organize a game of soccer with your friends once a week, for example. That way you will make sure you see each other enough, you will share the news while playing or while on a break, and make sure you are still in each other’s lives. Any other team sport can be great, and if you are not sports’ fun, try tabletop games, like Dungeons & Dragons.

As for making new friends, for sure it is not easy to just approach a group of people in the park and befriend them. So, you might want to try playing something online, like a video game, or research some slot tournament tips and try your luck in an online casino while playing against other people. True, you might not find your new best friend there, but you will relax and enjoy the game in the company of people with similar interests, which is a benefit on its own. 

Gets your creative juices flowing 

Many companies have installed playrooms in their buildings. And they have not done this just so they seem more attractive to new employees with their table tennis and flipper machines. They have done it because they know that playing can stimulate creativity and help in solving problems. Certain games even help when you are supposed to learn something new, just like when children learn through play. 

Even if you do not work in a company that offers the staff some playtime, you can find your own way to play and get your creative spirit on when you are stuck in a rut. Use your break to play a game of sudoku for example. This should help you solve the problem you encountered as soon as you are back at your desk. 

In a nutshell  

Playing games as a child is extremely beneficial and absolutely necessary for normal development and a happy childhood. But under no circumstances should we consider games appropriate just for children because they are almost equally important for a happy functional adult.