Smartphone games more effective at relieving stress than mindfulness apps

Despite the bad rep smartphone games have, they might just be more healing than they are harming the health. With the increasing amount of smartphone users, the transition of the gaming industry from the desktop to that little supercomputer in your pocket is natural and inevitable. It’s also cheaper and easier than buying a whole gaming console. But here’s the good news you were looking for - according to a study conducted at University College London and The University of Bath, it’s one of the most effective ways to relieve stress after a hard day at work.
In fact, according to the study, it’s much more effective than say, meditation activities or prompt breathing.
The study that was made had two experiments to draw its data from. The first one asked 45 students to unwind via different mediums after a math test, while the second one asked 20 participants to use either a smartphone game or mindfulness app to unwind after work. Both experiments showed those who chose smartphone games are more relaxed and more in control.
“To protect our long-term health and well-being, we need to be able to unwind and recuperate after work. Our study suggests playing digital games can be an effective way to do this,” says lead author, Dr. Emily Collins.
Following this, the authors noted that post-work recovery and relaxation is much more effective when the person playing is enjoying the actual smartphone game and isn’t just doing it to help pass the time.