Online games have always had a negative relationship with mental health. We’ve been led down this path of believing that playing games is bad for us – it can make us angry, cause negative habits and so on. This is an extremely archaic point of view and it’s been proven wrong multiple times over.
A study by the National Institutes of Health found that “commercial video games have been shown to impart cognitive benefits to those playing regularly. (ie. attention control, cognitive flexibility and information processing)”. It goes on to note many mental health benefits of playing games, such as relieving many common symptoms of depression and anxiety.
In essence, video games are much better than we were told many years ago! Staying on this trail of thought, some games are better than others at aiding your mental health. If you’re feeling stressed or suffer from anxiety, it could be beneficial to try these five games:
Poker
Online poker has a long list of benefits as it can help you with the following:
- Improving your decision-making skills
- Boosting cognitive abilities
- Aiding your critical thinking skills
- Enhancing problem-solving abilities
- Encouraging you to be social
- Developing mental fortitude
People can be a bit wary of poker as it’s available at online casinos and there’s usually money involved. Free poker tables and games do exist, but to get the social benefits of it it is good to play online with other people. The key is finding a safe and reliable place to do this with a great community around it. This Donbet Casino review by NonGamStopOdds is a fine place to start as it shows a casino with great online poker games and a strong reputation.
Wherever you play – and whether you play for money or not – poker will help with your mental health struggles. It keeps your mind occupied and trains you to think differently. This can alter your mindset in the real world as well – being able to think critically can help you assess your emotions and feelings, which is extremely useful if you deal with things like anxiety or paranoia.
Solitaire
Single-player games can be the most beneficial for your mental health. Solitaire is a game designed to be played alone – well, it’s actually the term for a series of games with similar features. To be classified as a “solitaire game”, a game must involve cards, focus on creating sequences or discarding certain cards and have the cards arranged in specific ways.
Most experts will agree there are twelve main types of solitaire games to play and the most popular five are:
- Klondike
- FreeCell
- Pyramid
- TriPeaks
- Spider
Being able to play this game alone means you have something to do when you’re feeling down and lonely. It’s something to occupy your mind and take your brain away from any negative thoughts. You lose yourself in the cards and focus on developing strategies to win each time or to beat your fastest times. For many people, solitaire is the friend they need in bad situations; someone who doesn’t say anything, they’re just there to help you do something.
Playing solitaire also elicits many of the same mental benefits as poker – which can be said of all the games on this list too. Lots of free solitaire games exist online too, so you don’t have to spend money to enjoy them. If you have a Windows PC, you’ll automatically have solitaire built into the operating system, so type it into the search bar and start playing!
Chess
There’s a fascinating article on Chess.com that talks about the history of chess and how long the game has been around. It originated before the 600s and was developed from an old Indian game called Chaturanga. Chess as we know it spread throughout the world and is now one of the most popular board games on the planet.
Anyone can play chess online these days against either AI opponents or real people. Whichever you choose, chess is proven to have outstanding benefits for your brain. It boosts concentration levels, develops strategic-thinking skills and is strongly linked to better problem-solving abilities.
Moreover, chess is amazing at relieving stress. It’s a game you need to focus on or you’ll end up making mistakes. If you’ve had a tough day at work and want to unwind before going to bed, try playing a game or two of chess. It takes you away from everything that happened today and puts you in a better mental state. You also feel a bit tired after playing because it’s so mentally demanding. This makes it an amazing game to relax a bit and get ready for bed.
Sudoku
Puzzle games like Sudoku are wonderful for your mental well-being. Anyone who suffers from anxiety should consider taking up Sudoku as a hobby. You’ll find free Sudoku online and it opens your mind to endless puzzles and possibilities.
The goal of this game is fairly simple: fill every row, column and box with the numbers 1-9, ensuring there are no duplicates.
Like all puzzles, this gets your brain juices flowing and takes you away from anything that might be causing some mental strife. It’s one of those games you get better at the more you play, which means constant enjoyment can be found. You feel rewarded when you accomplish harder puzzles and it’s a fabulous way to stay mentally healthy.
Wordle
Everyone should know about Wordle by now. It went viral in December 2021 and remains a fun and beneficial online game to play. Any game that gets you thinking and forces you to concentrate on solving a puzzle will be good for your mind. As we’ve said many times already, this serves as a distraction from what could be triggering you. Finding ways to forget about your triggers keeps you healthier and can prevent lots of symptoms from appearing.
Wordle is free, but you can only play one game a day. If you really enjoy it and believe it’s helping with your mental attitude, consider buying a subscription and you’ll unlock the ability to go back through the entire Wordle library and play older puzzles again.
Dozens of other online games are just as beneficial for your mental health as they hold similar qualities to the five we’ve mentioned. Gaming is such an excellent way to take your mind off things if you’ve been struggling recently. Try any of the games above and you’re bound to find at least one that keeps you happy.