Feeling stressed out, frustrated or anxious at work is a common feeling. We’ve all been there, done that. But do you that there is an easy remedy to cure this anxiety? According to researchers, playing video games may help reduce the work-related stress at office. The study has also found out that people who play video games show higher engagement and affective restoration than normal relaxation condition. Playing casual video games also helped people regain their affective abilities. Thus, playing video games has proved to be a restorative activity to rekindle the mood after stress.
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Those who chose to stay silent during the rest break are less engaged with work and experience more stress at office, while those who played video games showed reduction in negative impacts of stress. "We often try to power through the day to get more work finished, which might not be as effective as taking some time to detach for a few minutes. People should plan short breaks to make time for an engaging and enjoyable activity, such as video games, that can help them recharge," said Michael Rupp, a doctoral student at the University of Central Florida in the US.
The study, detailed in the journal Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, may have implications for those working in safety-critical fields, such as air traffic control and healthcare.For the study, Rupp and his team used a computer-based task to induce cognitive fatigue in 66 participants, who were then given a five-minute rest break.
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At the time of break, the participants indulged in casual video gaming called Sushi Cat or participated in a guided relaxation activity and some just sat quietly in the resting room without the phone or computer. At a number of times throughout the experiment, the researchers analysed participants’ stress level and mood as well as the cognitive performance. People who were into casual video gaming during the rest period showed reduced stress levels after the break.
(With IANS Inputs)
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