Computer games – just like any other hobby – get boring. Sometimes this happens unnoticed by a person. Each of us may discover one morning that we just aren’t drawn to our favorite “curling iron,” “boxing,” or PC. Motivation and desire to do something is a certain value, which can decrease or increase for various reasons.
Everyone at VGTimes believes that gaming is a great hobby that you shouldn’t give up. After analyzing some psychological research and personal experience, we’ve put together simple tips that will help those who have lost interest in an old hobby but want to regain their passion for it.
Let’s make a reservation right away that we don’t consider the hypocritical snobs who claim “games are fun for kids”. We don’t think there are such people among our readers, so we won’t explain that computer games are no worse than books, movies, and other hobbies. This is a beautiful, expensive and above all very interesting activity. If you decide to leave it and consider yourself an “adult”, the article is not for you.
Why is this happening…
First, let’s look at the reasons for the decline in interest rates. Psychology and common sense will help us with this. No job, even a very favorite, and above all a hobby, can constantly inspire. Whatever you do – it gets boring, becomes a routine, as a result – you get bored and lead to failure.
The process develops especially quickly when there is an abundance of any occupation in life. You work like a machine without holidays and weekends – get ready to take measures against professional burnout. If you go to the gym every day and tire yourself with monotonous workouts, you deserve “overtraining”. Play for days – very quickly you will get tired of the games.
Multitasking is good, but not alwaysThe brain doesn’t care what exactly it has to do at any given moment. In any case, he expends energy, which can be conditionally called inspiration, motivation or even willpower. Of course, these concepts are not identical, but from the point of view of spending the body’s resources, the principle is about the same. American psychologist Roy Baumeister put forward the following theory:
For self-control, the brain needs psychic energy, and if you can’t get together, you need to restore strength.
Self-control in this case is not only the ability to force yourself to do what is necessary, but also to at least do something, in our case, to play.
What causes a decrease in energy? The first reason is obvious, but many take it lightly – too much work. If you have multiple jobs, sports, three different hobbies, including computer games, and lots of friends, you won’t be able to be productive everywhere. The desire to do everything first cringes to “at least do something”, and then disappears altogether. It will take a long time to recover.
The second reason is too much communication. People take our energy whether we like it or not. If your activity is directly related to live interaction and you still like to drive in at home Counter-Strike or any other game with multiplayer – interest in the hobby will wane.
Games with friends are not only fun, but also very nerve-rackingThe third reason is stress. Obviously, with a large emotional load with games, you have to be extremely careful. Some projects will help clear your mind of heavy thoughts, but others will make you even more nervous, which will lead to you not wanting to play at all.
The fourth reason is to do something that doesn’t bring pleasure. This also works for our theme. If you play some kind of soul-like and are ready to bust the monitor, this is clearly not the most pleasant activity for the psyche. Analyze whether you are really interested in a particular project, or just a desire to “be in the know”.
The general conclusion that can be drawn is that endorphins give us more energy for hobbies and other activities. If you don’t get them, interest and productivity will disappear.
Have you ever had game fatigue?
…and what to do with it
How to return the former love for computer games? Well, here are several options. We recommend that you try all or at least a few at a time as this will increase your chances of success.
For starters, temporarily stop playing games altogether. Remember what we said about doing something you don’t like? It’s not worth resisting. Put aside your daily battles in the arenas and suffer in Elden Ring of Card Wave Far Cry 6. Concentrate on other tasks, it will help you save energy and feel better. Soon you will feel interest in your favorite hobby again.
The second tip is to focus on completing one project. If you have a lot of games, each of which is left in the middle, the brain sees them as unfinished tasks. No matter how you convince yourself that these are just “pixels”, the body doesn’t care. And vice versa – at the end credits you feel an unprecedented surge of endorphins, as the brain “ticks off” the completed task.
The third tip to try is to bet on the single player mode. Unfortunately, the player community is often toxic and unforgiving. You can be ridiculed for a bad shot or a hasty choice of spells, which will certainly not increase the desire to continue. It’s also clear that it’s much easier to win in story modes, and this will add the desired endorphins to you. Focus on the pleasant process, not the result, and you immediately feel the difference.
The fourth tip is to run what you really like. It can be a game that has long passed, which still ranks first in the personal top, or a novelty that has left a pleasant impression. Here you enter safe territory, because the project is trusted and will not disappoint you. The purpose of this technique is to bring you back to that joyful state that arose when you first met. No need to play the game to the end, just dedicate a few evenings to nostalgia.
Finally, the last tip, which is surely one of the most important: don’t be afraid to try new things. Anything unusual immediately grabs the brain’s attention and you enjoy unfamiliar experiences. You always play shooters – try RPG. If you like strategy, switch to action games. Virtual reality can be a good option. Each pair of glasses allows you to view games from a completely different point of view and give it a very unusual feel (but then of course there is the issue of their availability).
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And yes, the advice seems obvious, but often the simplest ways are the right ones. We hope that our article will help to restore the interest in games among experienced gamers and let you enjoy your favorite hobby for many years to come.
Have you ever used one of our tips?
Source: VG Times
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.