Have you recently fallen to widow status because of your spouse’s gaming habits? Is he more concerned with his Forza 3 car setup tool then your children’s behavior at school? Gaming widows have become a growing population among us. The seriousness of gaming addiction has come into light in recent months with the realization that a little girl sat home alone and starved while her parents were online gaming. Gaming addiction has also put a great divide in many marriages. I acknowledge that not all people who enjoy playing video games have an addiction. Video games have become a part of our culture. They allow us to have a virtual life. Video games give in to our fantasies. Gaming is a lot of fun. The goal is to balance the gamers fantasy life with the life they are living in the now. The problems start when there is little to no division.
Tips on Healthy Gaming
Recognize the reality of living life. Make sure you have created a real life in which you are content. If you are feeling inadequate in your daily living you are more likely to fall in to a gaming addiction.
Set limits on the amount of time you allow yourself to play video games. If you have a hard time tearing yourself away from the action use a timer. Don’t allow yourself to ignore the timer. This might take some will power but you have to remember the game is not the life you are living. Allow the life you are living to account for your personal happiness.
If you find you have jumped ship allow yourself to get back on board. One day in which you let yourself become emerged in your video game does not have to lay the future foundation on your video game outlook.
Listen to the people in your life. If your family is expressing concern reevaluate your gaming. They are the people looking out for your best interest. The characters in the game are fiction your family is reality.
Make compromises with your spouse. If you feel that your mate is nagging you let them know but also take into account your participation in your relationship with them.
Scheduling time to go out with your spouse and separate time to play video games will help keep balance in your life. This way you will be allowed to have space to play without leaving your partner in a pattern of constant waiting.
Communicate your needs. If video games are filling a need your spouse isn’t let them know. This is the only way that your spouse can try to fill the void you are feeling. If you are lonely and the video games are filling that void your spouse can shower you with attention. Your spouse can also help get you out of the house and mingling with other couples.
If you can’t keep up with daily life you are most likely gaming too much. You need to make sure that the needs of your family take precedence over any and all video games. Helping to take care of cooking, laundry and other household duties will show your partner that you are interested in things outside of the video game.
Video games are becoming more and more real. Games like Forza 3 and their sweet car set up tool make it difficult for gamers to want to stop. When you are racing amongst your gaming friends you feel connected. You are in a fantasy state and the euphoria you feel often masks the reality of real life. There is a balance between the two and if you have an addictive personality it is going to be hard to walk that thin line. In order to create harmony with a partner you will need to yourself in check.