December can be a pretty stressful time of the year. The world goes into crazy Christmas overdrive mode, and sometimes I just want to escape from it all. Recently, I’ve discovered a new form of stress-busting, as I’ve learnt how playing games online helps with stress relief.
As a child, I used to be a big fan of card games. I used to spend hours on end playing solitaire both with physical cards and also on my dad’s ridiculously big computer (showing my age!). I’ve also recently started playing cards with my daughter, and have come to remember what an amazing form of stress relief as well as entertainment it is.
How playing games online helps with stress relief
This is not just some hunch. Research now backs up what I know to be true – that playing online card games has substantial psychological benefits. Studies show that regular players of social intelligence games like card games show lower stress levels, with cortisol (the stress-related hormone) – being 17% less in card game players.
When I’m looking for some distraction during the working day, now instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media, I’ve instead started turning to solitaire.org for a game or two. It’s the perfect mindful activity (no thoughts about all the woes of the world when playing cards online!), and I’ve found Iat the end of a little online card session I feel more relaxed and happier.
I love how accessible it is – you can play their games anytime, from anywhere, and on any internet-enabled device, even while you’re on the go. There’s something for everyone – whether you are into card games, memory games or logic puzzles.
My favourite games for stress busting
Funnily enough, it turns out that not only does playing games online help with stress relief, but it also helps to bring on that lovely feeling of nostalgia. I’ve found that when playing games online, my favourites for a bit of relaxation are those games which hark back to my childhood days.
Some of my favourites on the site are firstly – most obviously – one of my all time favourite card games Solitaire; followed by Gin Rummy (both of which were taught to me by my father when I was a child).
I’ve also become a firm fan of their hidden object games which are not only great for relaxing and a mindful moment, but also are a great way of working your brain muscle because well folks….use it or lose it! I am particularly fond of their Garden Secrets game which is set in a beautiful spring time garden and features a really lovely relaxing soundtrack to play along to. There are lots of other cool themes to check out including games set in a Chinese temple, circus and hotel which have difference difficulty levels. All perfect for a bit of escapism I’m sure you’ll agree.
If you have a bit more time and are a bit of a wordy-type, then I would also recommend taking a look at the word games. Because who can resist word search puzzles or crosswords? I particularly like that the word searches have different grid sizes to choose from depending on the level of activity you feel like taking on that day, as well as of course the time you can spare.
Did you know playing games online helps with stress relief? Have you ever tried playing games online for this reason? Which of the above games do you think would suit you best? Do leave a comment below and let me know.
Picture credit: Photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels
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