We want to know from you: What do you play when you’re not feeling well? Which games give you a boost of happiness or help you when your mind isn’t your friend again?
That games can help our mental health is no longer news. Video games can make us happy, distract us, or simply provide the relaxation and escape from everyday life that we need right now. They help us when we are not internally balanced.
We empathize with video game characters, learn together with them, and overcome obstacles. They provide us with comfort or make us laugh; sometimes they grow so close to our hearts that we regard them as good friends.
What are your game recommendations?
But what exactly are these games that help in dark times? That’s exactly what we want to know from you. Please write in the comments which games help you when your heart is heavy.
Tell us which games you return to when life is harder and what feels good to you. Which games have helped you through difficult life stages?
Which ones give you a warm feeling in your belly? Which games allow you to switch off and leave all the stress and your worries behind at least for a while?
Let us know in the comments. From your answers (or based on the volume of responses, a selection of them), we will soon create a recommendation article.
More info, interviews, and co. on Mental Health
We have already explored the topic of Mental Health and Gaming from various perspectives across all our three websites. Below we list some examples:
At GameStar Talk, Micha and Rae spoke with psychologist Jolina Bering about how (and how not) games influence our mental health and what popular misconceptions exist about mental illnesses.
At GamePro, the entire editorial team held a fantastic theme week about mental health last year. There you can read very personal texts from individual editorial members writing about their own depression and mental issues, find game recommendations that specifically deal with mental health, and learn how people with obsessive-compulsive disorders experience games.
Gaming still battles with prejudices and misunderstandings in some areas. MeinMMO spoke with Sandra Friedrichs. Friedrichs participated in the 2023 contest for Miss Germany, a competition to honor women not as beauty icons but as role models.
She wants to bring gaming more into focus and connect it with the topic of mental health. In the interview, she discusses how gaming has helped her process issues like eating disorders and bullying.
Now it’s your turn!
As mentioned above in the text, we are now looking for your game recommendations. What do you play when you’re not feeling well? Which games have helped you through difficult times and which games evoke feelings of happiness and satisfaction in you? Please write in the comments. We look forward to your responses!
