Key Messages
Discovering How Games Can Help You Become Superbetter
Playing games isn’t just a means of entertainment or relaxation – it can also be a way to improve your life.
By introducing the spirit of gaming into your routine, you can see improvements in your cognitive abilities and reach goals faster than ever before.
For example, studies have found that playing certain types of games such as snowballs can actually help relieve physical pain.
Games also help to develop social skills and provide insight about problem-solving through characters like Zelda.
In short, if you take gaming seriously and incorporate it into everyday activities, you’ll be able to game your way to a healthier, better life!
The Power Of Games: How Superbetter Helps Us Develop Essential Resilience For Life’s Challenges
SuperBetter is more than a game – it’s an inspiring way to help you overcome tough challenges.
The game was created when the author had to recover from a brain injury, and her goal was to not just get better, but to be even better than she was before the injury – that’s where the concept of SuperBetter comes in!
What makes this idea so special is that it isn’t just about recovering; it’s also about personal growth.
There are two unique human phenomena at work here: post-traumatic growth and post-ecstatic growth.
When we’re faced with trauma, we don’t necessarily fall into long-term emotional or mental issues – instead, we can turn that experience into something positive and truly transformative.
That’s post-traumatic growth.
On the other hand, when we work hard to defeat our own inner challenges – like running a marathon or quitting smoking – then we have experienced post-ecstatic growth.
With SuperBetter, you can actively experience these forms of positive development during difficult times by following seven steps outlined in the game.
The effectiveness of these steps has been tested and proved as they help build physical resilience, mental resilience, emotional resilience and social resilience.
So why wait? Try out SuperBetter today!
Video Games Offer More Than Just Fun: They Can Help Us Overcome Pain And Trauma
It may sound unbelievable, but recent studies have shown that playing video games can lessen physical pain and even help people overcome trauma.
In one study with burn victims, researchers found that playing Snow World – a 3D game about a virtual world of ice caves and snowballs – helped them with the otherwise inescapable pain of their burns during difficult treatments.
This is because games allow you to direct your brain’s attention to something else other than the pain.
But it isn’t just distraction; it’s engagement.
For leisure activities like watching TV won’t do because they don’t require the same kind of cognitive absorption as a challenging and interactive game does.
This allows you to reach what is called “flow,” or being completely absorbed in an activity, so that painful sensations are lessened.
In another study, using Tetris within six hours after some traumatic event (such as a serious car accident) helped lower flashbacks experienced by participants.
And for children about to undergo surgery, playing Super Mario Bros was enough to reduce anxiety levels and make them need less medication before going in the operating room.
Studies such as these have truly shown how games can play an important role when it comes to helping people overcome trauma or lessen pain in times of difficulty.
Find Allies Through Gaming: Use Games To Build Stronger Connections And Positive Attitudes
Games can be so much more than just entertainment; they can actually help you build empathy and positive relationships with others.
Studies have shown that when two people come together to play the same game, in the same room, they form a strong neurological and physiological bond.
They mimic each other’s expressions, their heartbeats sync together – no matter if they are playing against or with each other.
And this bond goes further: we’re more likely to find someone attractive when we play a game with them as compared to watching TV together – because playing games makes us perceive the other person to be similar to ourselves.
The Middle East Gaming Challenge (MEGC) also uses gaming bonding power as a way of breaking down cultural divides between Israel and Palestine.
This is why face-to-face gameplay matters: excessive competition over long distances can elicit negative emotions like anger or aggression after a loss.
When players are around each other in the same room, however, that fosters understanding and respect for one another instead.
So get your friends together for some multiplayer fun – you might just make new connections along the way!
Games Unlock Our Inner Hero And Enhance Our Self-Efficacy
Games can have a tremendous impact on your motivation and perseverance, making them ideal for anyone who struggles with uncertainty or a lack of confidence.
Games increase dopamine levels in the brain, which is associated with an enhanced sense of pleasure, focus and determination.
This gives players the courage to tackle challenging obstacles and stay committed even when times get tough.
The game Re-Mission is a great example – designed to keep young cancer patients motivated throughout their treatments, the game encourages optimism and reinforces a sense of control.
It also demonstrates how important each dose of medication is.
After two hours playing Re-Mission, studies show that players were more likely to stick to their medication schedule for three months!
Similarly, playing games can provide you with valuable insight into yourself and your capabilities.
It’s an opportunity to build character by improving your work ethic and compassion while making yourself the hero of your own story.
And these insights don’t just apply to the games; they become part of your everyday life as well, allowing you to take on difficult decisions with increased determination and optimism.
How Positive Mindset Is The Key To Reaping The Benefits Of Video Games
When it comes to video games, the impact they have on your life isn’t based on what games you’re playing or how long you are playing them, but on why you’re playing.
If you use video games as a form of escape in order to avoid dealing with the problems of life, then unfortunately that’s when gaming can become harmful.
However, if you take the right approach to gaming and make sure that the reason why you are playing has a positive outcome, then not only will your game-playing experience be enjoyable and stimulating, but it will actually improve your overall well-being and happiness too.
At its core, gaming is about developing or honing skills such as spatial intelligence and problem solving, as well as creativity when it comes to storytelling.
It also enhances visual attention levels and encourages self-expansive immersion where you learn new things in order to better yourself – something which can be particularly helpful for those overcoming challenges during difficult times in their lives.
Plus, gaming can even improve your mood and help manage frustration levels too!
In conclusion, whilst there are good points for playing video games – just make sure that you play for the right reasons so that positive benefits come from it.
How Gameful Thinking Can Help You Overcome Challenges And Live A Better Life
Living gamefully is all about replacing a threat mindset with a challenge mindset.
This means that instead of seeing a new task or situation as something to be feared, we should view it as an interesting challenge – something to tackle instead of running away from.
SuperBetter provides us with the structure and guidance to do this, by introducing seven simple steps designed to help us live more flexibly and healthily.
The first step encourages us to think of any task as a game, with the difficult part being our competitor or obstacle.
We can then strive for the most positive outcome in any situation, transforming anxiety into excitement by repeating “I’m excited!” throughout our task.
This challenging yet rewarding way of living helps us take control of our feelings and emotions, rather than letting them control us.
In this way, it even helps physically – arteries constrict when we feel threatened but expand when we’re in a challenge mindset – meaning that if you make it your goal to live gamefully, you’ll be able to accomplish much greater feats!
Identifying Power-Ups And Bad Guys: A Key To Unlocking Your Superbetter Gameplay
In the game of life, it’s up to you to identify both the power-ups and the bad guys in your life.
Power-ups are any activities or behaviours that make you feel stronger, happier, and healthier.
They don’t have to be dramatic – it can something as simple as doing a few push-ups or going for a short walk!
As for bad guys, they’re anything that blocks your progress or makes life more difficult.
It can be something physical like an injury, a bad habit like procrastination, or even just one letter in the alphabet (like ‘J’ in scrabble!).
The key is to be alert to potential obstacles and experiment with different responses to them.
Sometimes stepping back is the best thing you can do when facing a bad guy – but just remember that they’re part of the learning experiences in life!
The Power Of Alliances: Leveraging Social Support To Reach Your Goals
Finding allies and creating quests can be a powerful way to reach your goals.
Not only is it emotionally beneficial, but your body also becomes physically stronger because of the social support you gain.
Just think: even a simple hug can reduce stress levels!
That’s why seeking out friends or family members who are willing to help you achieve your goals is so important.
However, not everyone has people they can discuss personal issues with – in fact, one-quarter of Americans report that they don’t have access to such social support.
Fortunately, you don’t need tons of allies for SuperBetter.
Even just two solid partners in crime can help you make progress on the game challenges.
If you’re having trouble finding someone in person, look online – turn to discussion forums or social media groups dedicated to SuperBetter adventurers.
Once you’ve got those awesome supporters by your side, the next step towards success is completing daily quests!
Anything that makes you feel better and stronger – exercising certain muscles, writing down a dream or simply recalling something positive – all these activities (and more!) count as quests.
Developing these little challenges boosts your skills and strengthens willpower tremendously – it’s an excellent way of taking meaningful action towards achieving what you want!
Plus one quest per day is all it takes – easy-peasy!
Unleash Your Inner Hero And Conquer Your Epic Wins With Superbetter
Developing a secret identity and setting your sights on epic wins is an important step in the SuperBetter process.
Giving yourself a secret identity – such as Jane the Concussion Slayer – can allow you to tap into your personal strengths, making SuperBetter even more fun!
It’s also a good way of staying motivated and focused on reaching your goals.
Choosing inspiring quotes from sources you find motivating (such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer), designing logos or composing themes songs, will help bring your secret identity to life and make it easier to strive for those bigger victories.
These ‘epic wins’ are not only realistic, but challenging too – they mark the achievements that were difficult for you to reach but which you still strived after and conquered.
They can be physical successes, like climbing a mountain or completing a race, but can equally be situational accomplishments like going one night without an iPod for situations such as insomnia or forgoing the use of an inhaler when dealing with asthma.
Even accomplishing something seemingly small such as sitting in a cinema for three hours could become an ‘epic win’ if there’s normally difficulty getting through that point of time due to back issues.
So get out there and conquer those tough challenges – unleash your inner superhero by creating your own secret identity!
Turn Your Life Into An Exciting Adventure With Superbetter
If you want to succeed at playing SuperBetter, it’s important to outline your adventure and keep score of your progress.
To begin, create an overarching adventure that frames everything you will do – just like a video game.
This could be managing stress during college admissions, becoming a vegetarian or any other goal.
Once you decide on the focus of your adventure, set goals including finding allies to hold you accountable and creating secret identities as superheroes.
Your goals should be achievable in six weeks — studies show that after six weeks of SuperBetter players have increased their social support networks and had higher self-confidence with a more optimistic outlook.
To help motivate yourself toward achievement, assign “determination points” for each event based on their level of difficulty and importance.
For instance, if you’re trying to overcome depression and call your doctor, give yourself at least +20 determination points for the accomplishment; if it’s harder than average – or something very special – then reward yourself with +100 or even +0.001!
Remember: playing SuperBetter is supposed to be fun so smile when you make accomplishments and congratulate yourself!
Wrap Up
The main takeaway from the SuperBetter book is that games can be used to help you face and overcome major challenges if played correctly.
To this effect, it encourages outlining one’s adventure, identifying power-ups and bad guys, and finally seeking out allies for support and guidance.
Moreover, the book also emphasizes making the journey fun by connecting with your avatar through self-representation.
In summation, SuperBetter is an exciting way to use game elements to tackle problems in life and increase personal growth.
To achieve maximum results, gamers should make sure their avatars closely resemble their own appearance as this reinforces the connection between the player and the game character.
