Wondering Where The Time’s Disappeared To? 

Now more than ever – courtesy of lockdown – we can appreciate wanting to escape reality… and by reality we mean certain housemates *AHEM* or for those living alone, the loneliness.

Whilst we can accept that in both lockdown or normality there’s just those of us that are destined for simulation greatness – GAMERS raise those hands! C’mon guys… Without the controller surely… No?

It’s still important to understand when breaks are necessary.

By now you’re probably getting flashbacks of when a guardian or a partner would make it a point to tell you to give the console a break and how you’re always on it ALL the time, believe us, we’ve been there too.

Remember those dishes that needed doing? Nope, us neither. Wait… What day even is it again… sound familiar?

Sure, there is something to take pride in about being able to game for so long at a time, giving your blood, sweat and tears into leading your squad to victory, all the whilst managing to power through the pain jolting through your thumbs from pressing the same buttons over and over, your back and shoulders aching from being sat in the same fixed position fixated on the screen like some kind of maniac.

And whilst we may pride ourselves in manufacturing quality headsets to enhance your gaming experience, one thing remains clear… Your health and well-being is equally as important to us, if not a full bar more.

By monitoring how long you spend gaming, this will still make sure you prioritise what’s more important in life outside the screen and also help preserve the brain for when you next wish to connect to the simulation and strategise further plans of domination.

So go on, take a much needed break – Believe us, your body and mind will thank you for it!

During which time, it’s probably a good idea to give your fingers, legs and arms a little stretch, take a quick trip to the bathroom, make a detour to the kitchen to refill your snack supply, and maybe crack open a window or step outside for a couple minutes of fresh air. Maybe even help out your sibling with some homework all in the name of bonding or ask a housemate how their day’s going!

After all, there’s so much more to life than gaming all your days away. Perhaps set aside some time to pick up a new hobby, like reading a chapter of that book you’ve been meaning to start, help around the house by loading the dishes in the dishwasher, teach the dog new tricks on a walk for fresh air, etc.

At this point in life, you’ve probably heard that too much of anything isn’t going to do you any good. So like any job where you stare at a screen for majority of your shift, gaming is no different.

It is recommended to take a break from video games for at least 15-20 minutes every 90 minutes.

Plus it makes sense to take a short break every 90 minutes than it does to take a longer break say every 2-3 hours… I mean, it’s not like you can stay up for a week and then sleep for 56 hours straight realistically speaking, right?

The key takeaway here apart from the fact that you should take little breaks when gaming for long durations, is to be mindful and not over-do the whole gaming experience.

The whole point is to of course listen to what your body is telling you as opposed to ignoring the signs it’s giving you.

Speaking of said signs, these include feeling tired, dazed and disorientated, soreness or numbness in your wrist or thumbs, back pain, eye strains etc. And so it is important to be mindful of whatever your body is trying to tell you.

As with anything in life, sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some. You know what we’re taking about – ah yes, those hair-pulling moments where it just isn’t your day (or night) and no wins are coming your way.

Don’t stress, even the most Elite of gamers have those days. And lo-and- behold, where there’s a negative if you look hard enough – is a positive just waiting to be acknowledged. In that an additional benefit in such moments is… YOU GUESSED IT…

Taking a break!

No, seriously. One thing that kills the vibe in the online gaming world is no doubt gaming with a toxic player. So might as well just step away from the game when you feel yourself getting too frustrated, aggressive or otherwise being a sore loser. As opposed to taking your emotions out on your teammates. Because no one appreciates a bad sport.

Oh and whilst we’re here, it’s probably worth mentioning that future YOU  probably won’t appreciate the aftermath of what follows next once you’ve calmed down and all that’s left is for you to pick up the pieces of your damaged headset/controller… Oh and not to forget that dent you left in the wall or your TV!

That being said, a few other tips we can provide is to pause the game immediately after a loss and challenge yourself to some healthy penance in the form of 10 push ups or whatever other exercise you fancy. This will not only help you keep a cool head and release your frustrations in a healthy way but will also help with the blood flow to those parts of your body which have become stiff whilst you were busy gaming away.

A general rule of thumb to live by is to remember –

If the batteries in your controller are capable of draining and need recharging, then you’re also not invincible. 

And whilst gaming is good and addictive, it certainly shouldn’t be at the cost of your mental or physical well-being.

So don’t shy away from stepping a few meters from the console or PC; for a couple minutes if it means you get to keep your sanity.

And what better way to maintain said sanity than to…

GAME RESPONSIBLY.

We hope you enjoy using your Stealth headset.

Please play responsibly, take plenty of breaks and make time for other activities throughout your day.