How video games can cause stress and anxiety (and 10 tips to help)
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA
Wondering if video games are impacting your mental health? Explore how gaming can both ease and trigger stress and anxiety, plus 10 ways to find the balance.
Video games can be a digital escape when the real world feels like a lot, but they can also be the thing that tips us over when we’re already teetering on the edge. With their stress-inducing sights, sounds, and storylines, they may actually contribute to our anxiety and mental overwhelm.
Maybe you’ve experienced this yourself or witnessed someone go through it. You boot up your favorite game to decompress at the end of a tough day, only to find yourself rage-quitting an hour later. Or you’ve gotten so lost in the game that suddenly it’s 2am, your chance at good sleep that night is a wash, and your brain is an overstimulated mess.
The truth is, our relationship with gaming is messy, nuanced, and deeply human. Sometimes it provides us with connection and comfort in a chaotic world. Sometimes it’s a digital pressure cooker disguised as “fun.” And both of those things can be true at the same time.
Let’s examine how video games can both ease and trigger anxiety and explore gentle, judgment-free ways to play with more awareness and less stress.
Why video games can cause stress and anxiety
If video games are stressing you out, you’re not weak, broken, or bad at relaxing. You’re human. And you’re spending time with devices that can put your brain on overdrive, even when your nervous system is begging for a break.
Here are some reasons why anxiety and stress can spike because of video games:
1. The performance pressure spiral: You log on to unwind, but the game wants you to rank up, grind harder, and not die an embarrassing death in front of your squad. Suddenly, the game isn’t about fun — it’s about winning, proving yourself, and not letting the team down.
2. Time warps and guilt trips: When you do find yourself in a feel-good groove with playing video games (or stuck in the loop of just getting to one more level), before you know it, five hours have passed. This type of loop can mess with your sleep, your routine, and your self-esteem, especially if you’re already feeling overwhelmed.
3. Social stuff gets sticky: Multiplayer games can be a beautiful place to connect. But they can also be a toxic place where a stranger is yelling at you through a headset. That kind of pressure, whether it's a subtle fear of missing out (FOMO) or full-on verbal abuse, can seriously mess with your head. Especially if you were already feeling isolated, insecure, or socially burned out.
4. Sensory overload is real: Bright colors, explosive sound effects, and constant motion aren’t always uplifting. Even cozy games can become overstimulating if you’re already fried. For folks with anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or sensory sensitivity, the constant barrage of inputs can feel like trying to meditate inside a rave.
Are there benefits to playing video games?
When you’re anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck in a rut, it’s tempting to blame the hours spent staring at a screen as the cause, or even see it as the cure. But for a lot of us, gaming isn’t the problem. Research shows that video games can help with emotional regulation, but only under specific circumstances. Here are some of the possible benefits of playing video games.
Comforting structure
In the middle of chaos, games offer structure. They give you a goal, an objective, a path to follow, and an escape. When real life feels like a never-ending loop of uncertainty, it’s strangely comforting to know exactly what needs to happen next, even if it’s just collecting mushrooms, avoiding banana peels, or solving puzzles.
That sense of progress, even in small, virtual ways, can be grounding when everything else feels out of control. The benefits of having video games as part of their routine are something many veterans have described as helpful in mental health recovery settings.
Social and emotional support
Video games, like other means of escapism, have a way of meeting you where you are. Sad? Get lost in a world where you can feel something like excitement or wonder without having to explain it to anyone. Tired? Play something that lets your brain coast while still giving you a little spark of joy.
Lonely? Even if you’re not talking on mic, just being in a shared digital space with other humans can soften that edge of isolation. Games can create meaningful social support networks, too, especially for those who struggle to seek help in traditional ways.
Self-care tool
While not every game is a wellness tool in disguise, under the right conditions—and with a little awareness and balance—gaming can be a surprisingly meaningful form of self-care. It’s not a replacement for sleep or human connection, but it can be a supplement.
Confidence booster
There’s something incredibly validating about being good at something, especially when you don’t feel that way in other areas of your life. Games let you win. They let you fail and try again. They let you build something out of nothing. And sometimes that’s exactly the confidence boost you didn’t know you needed.
How to play video games to benefit your mental health: 9 mindful gaming tips
Incorporating video games into your daily life can be a powerful tool to soothe your brain, but it can also be a way to steamroll your nervous system. The goal is to get honest about what gaming gives you—and what it takes from you—and then make tweaks for it to work for you instead of against you.
Here are nine real-world tips to help you enjoy video games in a way that supports your mental health.
1. Know your “why” before you play
Before you pick up the controller, take five seconds to ask yourself why you want to play right now. Is it to relax? Connect with friends? Escape from something stressful? Procrastinate that thing you’re avoiding?
Every reason is valid, so no judgment. But the more aware you are of your “why,” the easier it becomes to check in with whether the game is giving you what you need.
If your aim is to chill and, two hours later, you find yourself raging because you can’t beat that level, that’s telling you something.
💙 Prioritize an Emotions Check-in practice to help you reflect on how you feel before gaming.
2. Choose your game based on your headspace
All games are not created equal, especially when it comes to your mental health. Some games light you up, and some games drain the life force from you. If you’re feeling emotionally depleted, a game that takes place in a war zone might not be your best option.
Here are some tips for choosing the appropriate game for your mood:
Feeling anxious: Go for cozy, repetitive tasks, like farming sims or puzzle games.
Feeling sad: Immersive story games can be comforting and transportive.
Feeling isolated: Co-op games or massively multiplayer (MMOs) can offer connection.
Feeling overwhelmed: Pass on games with time constraints, jump scares, or chaotic energy.
3. Try a soft stop instead of rage-quitting
We’ve all hit that moment when you’re losing, you’re annoyed, and now you’re exiting the game in a blaze of passive-aggressive fury. The problem is that this behavior usually leaves you more stressed.
Instead, build in a soft landing. After a tough or frustrating video game experience, give yourself 10–15 minutes playing a low-stakes game like Tetris, Animal Crossing, or a chill mobile app. It helps reset your nervous system so you’re not carrying that stress into the rest of your night.
4. Set flexible playtime boundaries (and forgive yourself when you break them)
Hard stops with every task are great in theory, but life rarely sticks to a schedule. Instead of rigid limits around your gaming, try setting soft, compassionate boundaries instead.
Try saying:
“I’ll play until this mission is over or until 10 pm, whichever comes first.”
“I’m going to pause after every match and check in with how I feel.”
“Okay, one more level, and then I’m going to get ready for bed.”
💙 Get comfortable setting kind and clear limits with help from the Daily Calm’s session on Boundaries.
5. Curate your digital space to support your mental health
If someone in your group chat, Discord, or lobby is making you feel small, anxious, or on edge, you don’t owe them your energy. Use those block and mute buttons liberally. Disable voice chat. Leave toxic communities. Protect your peace like you would in real life.
And if your own inner critic is the one talking smack? Notice it. Name it. Maybe even laugh at it. Thank it for being there, but show it the door.
6. Pair gaming with grounding
After a gaming session, especially a high-energy one, give your nervous system a safe place to land. A minute of grounding can go a long way and help you return to the present moment.
Try:
Walking barefoot on the floor and feeling your feet connect with the ground
Doing a few deep breaths with longer exhales
Looking out the window and naming five things you see
Stretching for the length of a loading screen
7. Make it social
Playing with others can be deeply supportive or deeply stressful. Choose co-op or multiplayer modes that add to your joy and not your anxiety. Play with friends who hype you up, not ones who berate you in the chat. Create private rooms. Opt out of voice chat if it drains you.
Remember that real connection doesn’t always involve talking. Just existing in the same digital world as someone else can soothe loneliness.
8. Pay attention to your feelings after
Here’s a gentle check-in you can practice: asking yourself how you feel when you log off. You don’t have to figure it all out at once. Just start noticing. Awareness is the first step toward making your gaming habits work for you.
Check in with yourself:
Relaxed and content? Cool. Your setup is working for you.
Wired, angry, empty, or guilty? That’s a sign that something needs adjusting. Maybe the game type, the length of play, or the people you’re playing with.
9. Let gaming be one tool in your self-care toolkit… but not the only one
Gaming can be comforting, immersive, and even healing. But it shouldn’t have to carry the full weight of your emotional regulation. Pair it with other small, manageable supports like journaling, regular fresh air and exercise, talking to a friend, or guided grounding exercises, such as mindful breathing or grounding techniques.
Video games stress and anxiety FAQs
What should I do if I feel anxious after gaming?
First, take a moment. Close the game, put down the controller, and just notice how your body feels. Is your heart racing? Are your shoulders up near your ears?
Anxiety after gaming is more common than most people think, especially after high-stakes or overstimulating play. Your nervous system might still be running laps while your brain is trying to chill.
The best move is to reconnect with something real and physical. Step away from the screen, stretch, drink water, or do a simple grounding practice like feeling your feet on the floor or taking five deep breaths with long, slow exhales. You don’t need to analyze or fix anything right away. Just let your body know the game is over and it’s safe to come back down.
Is playing video games a bad coping mechanism?
The value of using video games as a coping mechanism depends on how you’re using them, not the game itself. Coping mechanisms aren’t inherently good or bad; they exist on a spectrum. Gaming can be a great way to decompress, shift your mood, or find joy when everything else feels heavy. But if it’s the only tool in your box—or if it starts to feel more numbing than nourishing—that’s worth paying attention to.
Ask yourself this: Do I feel better or worse after I play? If the answer is consistently worse, it might be time to shake up your coping strategies. Not because you’re doing something wrong, but because you deserve options that actually help.
Can video games cause stress and anxiety?
For some people, games can be calming. For others, they can quietly build tension, especially if they involve competition, time pressure, or social dynamics that feel performative or stressful. Even the act of playing for too long and losing track of time can trigger guilt, overstimulation, or a low-level panic that you’ve fallen behind in life.
What matters most is how you respond to the experience. If certain games leave you feeling wired, irritable, or off-center, that’s valid data and not a moral failing. Use it to shape how and when you play next time.
What types of video games are best for reducing stress?
There’s no universal answer here for which games can help reduce stress and anxiety. It solely depends on your personal flavor of stress and how your brain likes to unwind. That said, games with a slower pace, simple goals, or calming visuals often work best.
Think cozy farming Sims, low-stakes puzzle games, story-driven adventures, or anything that doesn’t penalize you for playing at your own pace.
If it feels gentle, rewarding, or even a little meditative, it’s probably a good choice. And if it makes you clench your jaw or scream into a pillow… maybe save that one for a different day.
How can I set healthy gaming boundaries?
Forget rigid timers or guilt-trippy screen time limits for a second. Real boundaries start with self-awareness and self-reflection. How do you feel before and after you play? What kind of games leave you feeling restored, and which ones leave you emotionally scrambled? Use that as your compass.
From there, try anchoring your sessions with soft stop cues. Pause after you reach a certain level, take breaks between matches, or decide in advance when you’ll log off (even if it’s flexible). And remember, slipping past your boundary doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re human. Adjust, don’t punish.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.
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