Video games may beat mindfulness apps at relieving stress

Digital games, typical of those on smartphones, may relieve stress more effectively than mindfulness apps, a study from UCL and the University of Bath shows. The authors noted that digital games appear to fulfil four criteria necessary for post-work recovery: they tend to be relaxing, they provide opportunities for mastering a new skill, they are highly immersive and distracting, and they allow people to feel in control. Digital games, typical of those used on smartphones, may relieve stress after a day’s work more effectively than mindfulness apps, according to a study by UCL and the University of Bath. In the study, published in JMIR Mental Health, participants were given a 15-minute maths test and then asked to either play a shape-fitting game or use a mindfulness app. Those in a control group were given a fidget-spinner toy. Participants who played the shape-fitting game (“Block! Hexa Puzzle”) reported feeling more energised