Video games can reduce office stress | Fusion - WeRIndia

The working environment often induces stress in people, having to constantly keep up with their tasks and assignments. Therefore, people who work long hours are typically given rest breaks so that they can clear their minds from all of the stress.

However, this is not always as effective as it sounds. Quiet rest breaks often lead to people mulling over the tasks that they will have to complete after the break is over, therefore increasing their nervousness and stress levels.

However, a recent study unveiled a possible new outlet for break times: video games. Results showed that people who played casual games in breaks tended to perform better after doing so.

This study was conducted by Michael Rupp, a doctoral student in the University of Central Florida in the United States. Rupp and his team created a computer-based task, which was designed to fatigue the participants.

He then assigned it to sixty-six people, and then gave them a five-minute-long break afterwards. In the break, the participants were given three options: play a casual video game called Sushi Cat, do a guided relaxation activity, or sit quietly in the room without using an electronic device.

The researchers would measure the mood, stress, and performance of the participants, and those who played the video game showed significantly better results.

Rupp and his team released their study to the journal Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. In this release, Rupp spoke about the results, and says that allowing workers to engage in enjoyable activities, such as video games, in their break times would increase both their performance level and their mood.

The activity even restored the participants’ affective abilities, making this an even more enticing outlet for employees’ breaks.

This study suggests that more workplaces should look into providing enjoyable activities like video games for their workers, since this can make the workplace both more effective and more fun.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1290927