Saturday, April 23, 2011

Gaming Under Control


As we all know, it is very easy to "get into" a game! For me, When I am playing Oblivion or Call of Duty, I "get into" the game and I can zone out for several hours at a time without even thinking about it! In some ways this can be a good thing, but there are some things that ought to be considered before you just let yourself "zone". I will try to highlight some questions that should be asked before you hit the Xbox 360 for the next 8 hours!


  • Prioritize -- Ask yourself, "What do I need to get done today before I can relax?" When the answer comes to you (and it will if you listen to your mom or girlfriend...), get up and get it done! Then you won't be making the people around you upset when you start getting really into it (just don't start throwing things when you get killed for the 27th time!)! 
  • Moderation -- Ask yourself, "How long do I really have to sit here?" There is absolutely nothing wrong with gaming for a while in your day. In fact, gaming is a great stress release and a good way of relaxing after a long day at work (or just after you wake up on a Saturday morning/afternoon, and you have nothing better to do). However, just because you can relax with it and it is very entertaining, it is a danger for those of us who don't prioritize well (see above bullet). 
  • Health -- Ask yourself, "How much time to I spend gaming vs. exercising?" The stereotypical gamer is a nerdy dude who just sits on a couch all day, eating pizza and drinking Mountain Dew. This is only somewhat true (the pizza and Mountain Dew is pretty average, the nerdy guy, well, that's debatable). The problem with this is not that you are eating pizza and drinking pop, it is that there is seldom a good exercise program that goes along with the gaming lifestyle! There must be a good healthy balance between both!
I hope you can take something from this! It is not my goal to put down gaming, but rather, to enhance the gaming environment in the long-run! Trust me, your Mom/Girlfriend/Wife will ALL be more happy with you! You know the saying,

 "When Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

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