Sheesh. Stressful week!
My life is pretty idyllic in a whole lot of ways. I consider myself to be a very fortunate man as well as one who works hard to have a really great life, full of people and activities that make me happy. But I’m hardly immune to the ravages of stress.
The last couple weeks have seen some fairly rough news for close friends. I wouldn’t trade away my empathy for them, but some stress comes along with having great friends going through difficult times. I’ve been very busy with a project on a long-term deadline and that too has been a little stressful. And then there are my taxes.
Most years I end up owing money, which is fine by me. But this year we’re getting a chunk back--I’m already pissed at myself for not having done them sooner. Add to this the fact that I lost some important tax documents in a hard drive crash last year, and the process this year is not only more difficult but also a constant reminder that this could have gone more smoothly if I’d taken 25 seconds to backup my files.
Generally speaking, I’m pretty good at coping with my stress. That’s certainly been tested this week. However I was reminded last night that my gaming hobby is a solid contributor to my overall stress management techniques. Taking a moment to recognize gaming as a stress management strategy makes me feel in control, which further reduces my stress.
First of all, just getting out of the house for a while can make a huge difference. I work from home and, while I try to stay active, sometimes the walls can feel a bit like they are closing in. A change of venue, even just going over to my friend’s house for the evening, gives me a chance to get out of the stressful environment.
Sitting around the game table catching up with my friends is another biggie for me. As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, we’re all very close friends outside of gaming and it’s important for us to stay connected with each other. We tend to chat a lot about what’s going on in our families and lives away from the game table. I’m an extrovert and connecting with other people powers me up.
Then we got down to the actual gaming. Right now we’re playing some Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying 3e. I am playing a Dwarven Troll Slayer. Even though I didn’t design this character as a stress reliever, he’s the perfect catharsis. He kicks total ass and doesn’t even care whether he lives or dies. He finds the biggest bad guy on the field of battle and runs straight at them. He chops them with his axe until they or he is dead. Rinse. Repeat.
I should mention, this is a rather big departure from the kinds of characters I normally play. I tend to get a lot of joy from characters who plot and scheme more than the typical Dwarven Troll Slayer. But that too can be stress relieving. It lets me plan and feel like I’m in control. I often get to see those plans come to fruition in a relatively short span of time. When you make certain decisions in real life you often have to wait months or even years for them to prove themselves out. Gratification often comes quicker in our games.
Both these coping mechanisms, catharsis and control, are available away from our weekly gaming sessions too. I play some computer games that let me shoot a bunch of zombies and even more computer games that let me plan economic or military strategies I can see unfold before my eyes in minutes or hours. Those both let me blow off some steam when I’m feeling stressed.
But that can’t compare to sitting around a table with my best friends, hearing each other boast and laugh about slaying the Rat Ogre that totally looked like it was going to kill the Wizard. Something about it eases the knot in my spine in ways other hobbies cannot. I love gaming as a hobby for many reasons. I need to keep this one in mind more often.
How do you cope with stress? Do you find gaming reduces your stress or adds to it?
My life is pretty idyllic in a whole lot of ways. I consider myself to be a very fortunate man as well as one who works hard to have a really great life, full of people and activities that make me happy. But I’m hardly immune to the ravages of stress.
The last couple weeks have seen some fairly rough news for close friends. I wouldn’t trade away my empathy for them, but some stress comes along with having great friends going through difficult times. I’ve been very busy with a project on a long-term deadline and that too has been a little stressful. And then there are my taxes.
Most years I end up owing money, which is fine by me. But this year we’re getting a chunk back--I’m already pissed at myself for not having done them sooner. Add to this the fact that I lost some important tax documents in a hard drive crash last year, and the process this year is not only more difficult but also a constant reminder that this could have gone more smoothly if I’d taken 25 seconds to backup my files.
Generally speaking, I’m pretty good at coping with my stress. That’s certainly been tested this week. However I was reminded last night that my gaming hobby is a solid contributor to my overall stress management techniques. Taking a moment to recognize gaming as a stress management strategy makes me feel in control, which further reduces my stress.
First of all, just getting out of the house for a while can make a huge difference. I work from home and, while I try to stay active, sometimes the walls can feel a bit like they are closing in. A change of venue, even just going over to my friend’s house for the evening, gives me a chance to get out of the stressful environment.
Sitting around the game table catching up with my friends is another biggie for me. As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, we’re all very close friends outside of gaming and it’s important for us to stay connected with each other. We tend to chat a lot about what’s going on in our families and lives away from the game table. I’m an extrovert and connecting with other people powers me up.
Then we got down to the actual gaming. Right now we’re playing some Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying 3e. I am playing a Dwarven Troll Slayer. Even though I didn’t design this character as a stress reliever, he’s the perfect catharsis. He kicks total ass and doesn’t even care whether he lives or dies. He finds the biggest bad guy on the field of battle and runs straight at them. He chops them with his axe until they or he is dead. Rinse. Repeat.
I should mention, this is a rather big departure from the kinds of characters I normally play. I tend to get a lot of joy from characters who plot and scheme more than the typical Dwarven Troll Slayer. But that too can be stress relieving. It lets me plan and feel like I’m in control. I often get to see those plans come to fruition in a relatively short span of time. When you make certain decisions in real life you often have to wait months or even years for them to prove themselves out. Gratification often comes quicker in our games.
Both these coping mechanisms, catharsis and control, are available away from our weekly gaming sessions too. I play some computer games that let me shoot a bunch of zombies and even more computer games that let me plan economic or military strategies I can see unfold before my eyes in minutes or hours. Those both let me blow off some steam when I’m feeling stressed.
But that can’t compare to sitting around a table with my best friends, hearing each other boast and laugh about slaying the Rat Ogre that totally looked like it was going to kill the Wizard. Something about it eases the knot in my spine in ways other hobbies cannot. I love gaming as a hobby for many reasons. I need to keep this one in mind more often.
How do you cope with stress? Do you find gaming reduces your stress or adds to it?
