There are many video games out there. There’s plenty of content and art in general to get through, from all the television shows you’re interested in, the movies you watch, to the books you like to read. Of course, we all have hobbies and interests outside of these entertainment or art forms as well, and if we’re lucky, a full life to live. For this reason, we only have a certain amount of time for a certain amount of things, and if you prioritize games, that can easily lead to many hours sat in front of a screen.
Of course, many of those experiences can be magical, so it’s not as if you’re wasting away. But if you do feel as though “playing as much as possible” has slowly churned into “playing because I feel obligated to,” then that’s rarely going to keep you motivated and feeling a sense of enjoyment in your hobbies.
In these circumstances, it’s very easy to feel a sense of burnout. But how can we restore it? Consider this:
You’re never obligated to play video games, even if you love them. It can be healthy to focus on something else for a while, perhaps no longer watching shows, or movies, or scrolling social media. Perhaps you’ll work on your career, travel a little instead, and make memories with your friends. Perhaps you’ll try to be a bit more social with your family or train for a race next year. When you disconnect from the constant feeling of being connected to your screen and going through gaming content, all of a sudden your interest in the hobby gently begins to rise again.
Most readers would say that you don’t have to read constant 20th century classic literature to be considered well-read. You can read what you like from pulpy romance novels to detective stories to short stories from a local writing competition. You can also write some of your own work, or simply go online and check out some fun writing prompts to get started. The same goes for games. Playing a fun session of spider solitaire 2 suit while relaxing on your sofa, playing a mobile game, or breaking out the old tabletop games while you resolve your burnout is a wonderful thing.
Gaming culture can be fun in places, but it’s also very loud. You don’t have to listen to this if you’re not interested, you can simply sit back and ignore the reviews, news, op-eds, tweets, blog posts, YouTube videos, streams, and everything else that makes you feel so connected with thinking about games. Perhaps for a month you can just focus on playing titles you like, and not worrying what anyone else thinks of them. You may be surprised how this invigorates your interest once again.
With this advice, you’re certain to restore your energy, even after encountering gaming burnout. After some time, you’ll see that overconsumption is often the grounding issue to resolve first.
