Gaming may not be the first thing you think of when you try to imagine hobbies that are good for you, but it certainly does has its advantages in your life. Of course, you shouldn’t give up healthy eating and regular exercise to focus on gaming, but if you can incorporate it into your life then it can help you be a more rounded person, and it can even have some health benefits too. The key – as with most things – is moderation. So just how can gaming be good for you?

Slows The Aging Process
Everyone is going to age, and there isn’t currently anything we can do to stop it; the body, as well as the mind, will continue to get older. Although gaming can’t help with the physical aspect of aging, it can help with the mental one. Studies have shown that the more active our brains are, the less quickly they age, meaning that we feel younger and our brains continue to work as they should. Gaming is one way to keep your brain active, and therefore it has a positive effect on the rest of your life.

Decision Making
Not everyone is blessed with good decision-making skills, and this can be problematic in day to day life. Many people wait too long to make a decision because they are weighing up all the pros and cons, and in the end, they might miss out on the opportunity altogether. When you are a gamer, you need to make important (in terms of the game, at least) decisions quickly and sensibly if you want to proceed. This skill can be honed over time, and help you in life in general as well as making you a better gamer. If you can make good decisions quickly, you can be a leader.

Social Skills
Social skills aren’t something that, stereotypically, many gamers are thought to have, but of course that’s not the case. Although some will prefer their own company and will want to play alone, others love the social aspect of gaming and now that technology is so advanced it has become easier than ever to play with others, even if they are on the other side of the world. You could even meet up to enjoy other types of games such as escape rooms. Not only that, but there are forums to engage in and conventions to attend as well. Making friends through a mutual love of games can lead to some very strong friendships.

Eyesight
The received wisdom is that playing video games for too long will cause damage to your eyesight, but that’s not necessarily the truth. When you are playing games, particularly shooting style ones, good eyesight is a bonus, and it will help you to score higher and get further within the game itself. Studies have shown that gamers can quite often have excellent eyesight.

The problem of sore, dry eyes is a real one, though, and comes from playing for too long without a break. Dry eyes won’t cause any permanent damage, though, and eyedrops can help to soothe the discomfort.