Can Gaming Be Part of a Healthy Lifestyle?

How Gaming, Joy, and Recovery Can Enhance Your Mental Health and Support a Healthy Lifestyle

Gaming often gets a bad rap when it comes to health and wellness. We’re constantly warned that it’s "rotting our brains" or told that sitting in front of a screen for hours is detrimental. (Although, isn’t it funny how our bosses never tell us that sitting too long at our desks is bad when we’re working?)

As an Active Life Professional, I work with people to help them move pain-free and return to an active lifestyle. Through this, I’ve learned that a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about physical exercise—it's about joy and happiness too. Yet, many fitness and health experts seem to overlook this crucial part of the puzzle. As gamers, we’ve been repeatedly told to stop playing "kids' games" and get off the couch, but I believe there's a bigger picture here that needs exploring.

The Power of Rest and Recovery

Building my own business has been the most stressful period of my life. Between coaching clients and growing my ventures, I’ve realised just how vital effective rest and relaxation are. For me, gaming is that release. When I sit down and immerse myself in Final Fantasy X, I can switch off, unwind, and escape for a while.

But you might be wondering, "What does gaming, or any form of rest, have to do with fitness?" Great question.

Your fitness and strength don’t actually improve during exercise—they improve during recovery. It’s your body’s ability to recover from stress, through a process called supercompensation, that allows us to get stronger and fitter. So, the better we can manage our recovery, the better our fitness progress will be. And this is where stress management plays a crucial role.

When our lives are loaded with stress—whether from work, relationships, or even fitness itself—without effective recovery strategies, we just get exhausted and burnt out. Recovery needs as much attention as the exercise itself, and for me, gaming is a key part of that recovery process.

Mental Health and Gaming: An Unlikely Duo?

We often hear that mental health is just as important as physical health. I completely agree. But here’s the problem: when I mention that gaming helps with my mental health, people assume I’m lazy, wasting my life playing "kids' games." Yet, people are encouraged to meditate, journal, or meet friends for their mental health, so why not gaming?

Gaming has real benefits for mental health. Research shows that gaming can enhance cognitive functions such as problem-solving and creativity (Bavelier et al., 2012). It’s an outlet that allows me to recharge, much like someone else might enjoy reading a book or painting. In fact, a study by Granic et al. (2014) found that video games can be effective tools for improving mood, promoting relaxation, and reducing stress.

On a personal level, once my wife understood that gaming is not just a hobby, but something that benefits my mental health, she became more invested too. She saw that it was helping me manage stress, and we began to find games that we could enjoy together. Recently, we’ve been playing It Takes Two, and in the past, we’ve spent hours enjoying games like the LEGO series or Uncharted. Gaming has become an important part of our shared downtime, allowing us to bond over a shared interest and disconnect from the stresses of daily life.

Burnout and Balance

It hasn’t always been this way. In my previous job, I was working 14-hour days, six days a week. I would leave home at 5am and not return until 7pm. Not only was this a strain on my relationship, but it was also affecting my fitness, and of course, my gaming. Unsurprisingly, I’d often find myself completely burnt out by the end of the week. The little time I had at weekends to game wasn’t enough to provide the mental and physical recovery I needed. That experience taught me just how vital it is to balance work, exercise, and leisure in a way that truly supports our wellbeing.

Joy Is Essential for a Healthy Life

Ultimately, part of living a healthy lifestyle is doing the things that bring us joy—whether that’s gaming, streaming, writing, or even something like painting Warhammer figurines. What’s important is that we engage in these activities without fear of judgment.

I want to encourage everyone to pursue the things they love, free from worry about what others might think. Gaming is just one of many hobbies that can be part of a balanced, fulfilling life. If playing games is what makes you happy, then it deserves a place in your routine, just as much as exercise or any other activity. Because a truly healthy lifestyle doesn’t just build your body—it builds your spirit.

What brings you joy? How do you make time for the things that help you recharge and feel your best? Whether it’s gaming, drawing, writing or hitting the gym, I’d love to hear what you do to unwind and recover. Share your thoughts with me in the comments, and let’s start a conversation about how we can all live happier, more balanced lives.

References:

Bavelier, D., Green, C. S., & Dye, M. W. (2012). "Games and Learning: The Future of Education and Entertainment," Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13(6), pp. 457-467.

Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2014). "The benefits of playing video games," American Psychologist, 69(1), pp. 66-78.