Mind Over Matter: Training Your Brain to Become a Better Gamer
Maksym YushytsynSo, you want to be a better gamer? Welcome to the club! We all want to improve our game, but it takes more than a fancy headset and a state-of-the-art set up to be a master of the craft. If you want to do well, you have to train your mind. Luckily for you, we’ve put together a few quick tips you can use to keep your brain keen and ready for action on the screen.
Sharpen Your Hand-Eye Coordination with Extra Practice
It’s been proven that video games themselves can help you sharpen hand-eye coordination, so you should practice as much as possible with your favorite game. This will help you to improve your reaction times and your general dexterity when at play, as well as make you a better gamer in general.
In one study by the University of Toronto, researchers found that those who practiced for longer periods showed increased aptitude in the game. The study also compared the time it took gamers and non-gamers to become adept when learning a new game and found that those who played regularly learned much quicker.
What does that tell you? Basically, playing games makes you a better gamer. However, they aren’t the only way you can improve hand-eye coordination. If you want to take some time to rest your eyes from the screen, try playing a game of catch, challenging your friends to a ping-pong tournament, or just bouncing a tennis ball off a wall by yourself.
Learn Quick Decision-Making and Strategy with Other Games
Hand-eye coordination is essential, but it’s not the only factor to consider when training your brain. You should also strive to improve your decision-making skills and strategic thinking, especially if you want to break into esports or become a professional. This can be achieved partly through the practice of your game of choice, but you should also branch out and try other games.
Whether you’re hoping to take on the world of esports or to become a better gamer for yourself, it pays to sharpen up your strategic skills and decision-making capacity
Which games help the most with decision-making or strategy skills? Poker is a great one to start with. Not only does poker sharpens your mathematical skills, but it also requires strategy and making moves quickly under pressure—all of which are essential in online video gaming. The good news is, you can get started playing online for free with poker apps like WSOP Poker. If you want to go this route, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the latest codes for free chips at WSOP Poker online. That way, you can take advantage of this resource and play the easy way.
If you’re into board games, you should also consider joining a group which plays high-strategy RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. This game is a brain exercise at its finest, presenting players with a number of sticky situations and challenging them to extricate themselves from possible danger. It will help improve critical thinking skills as well as aid in rapid strategy formation and problem-solving.
Keep Your Mind Sharp by Ensuring Your Body Stays Healthy
As any hardcore player will tell you, staying healthy as a gamer presents a unique set of challenges. Hand injuries, eye fatigue, and even sleep issues can plague us. If you think about it, it makes sense—long hours spent sitting down and focusing on the screen while tightly gripping a controller can spell disaster if you don’t take precautions.
Unsurprisingly, these issues can all contribute to a foggier brain and decreased performance capacity. But how to combat this? After all, you can’t just stop gaming. It’s your favorite hobby. The trick here is to recognize that these problems may occur, acknowledge them if they do, and take care of your physical health to fix and prevent them.
Doing simple hand exercises will help improve your flexibility and strengthen your fingers for long bouts of play. Taking your eyes off the screen is also important, so take a break from gaming every once in a while to rest them. You should perform physical exercise three to five times a week to improve cardiovascular health, circulation, and get yourself moving. Furthermore, eating a healthy diet is imperative for the functioning of your brain. Don’t skimp on fruits, veggies, and other healthy snacks.
If you follow these tips and tricks to train your brain, you’ll find that your capacity will improve in no time flat. It won’t take much time to notice a difference in your performance once you start actively trying to improve and taking care of your body, so what are you waiting for? Get out there and let the games begin!
Which games help the most with decision-making or strategy skills? Poker is a great one to start with. Not only does poker sharpens your mathematical skills, but it also requires strategy and making moves quickly under pressure—all of which are essential in online video gaming. The good news is, you can get started playing online for free with poker apps like WSOP Poker. If you want to go this route, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the latest codes for free chips at WSOP Poker online. That way, you can take advantage of this resource and play the easy way.
If you’re into board games, you should also consider joining a group which plays high-strategy RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. This game is a brain exercise at its finest, presenting players with a number of sticky situations and challenging them to extricate themselves from possible danger. It will help improve critical thinking skills as well as aid in rapid strategy formation and problem-solving.