Gaming: A Great Way For Women To Reduce Stress

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If you haven’t noticed yet, I’m totally Gen X. Born in 1970! I’m also a Type A personality, throw in some anxiety, and a couple of chronic things like Epstien Barr and EDS just for fun. All this means that I stress, a lot. It also means that I have the type of personality that tends to be a perfectionist and take on way too many things at one time. It’s like I crave it. The downside? It’s exhausting and stressful. So how do you manage the stress? One thing for me is gaming. Gaming is a great way to have fun and reduce stress.

I grew up gaming like lots of Gen X’ers. I mean I remember when my dad brought home Pong! Now I’m telling my age, lol. I think he bought just about every gaming system there was when I was growing up. My dad played as much as we did! I can thank him for my love of gaming. When I was in my early twenties I was the receptionist at a local grocery chain’s executive office. The office I worked at was where all the VP’s and their secretaries were at. I loved my job! But it was a super stressful environment. I coped by coming home on my lunch hour to play Zelda.

Then as I got busier with life and kids, I forgot how much I loved gaming, but I did pass it on to my kids. We bought game systems for our kids, but I never played for myself. I played with the kids and it was a blast. Some of my most fun memories are all of us playing WII Sports, Guitar Hero, or Just Dance and Nascar Rumble. We worked so hard to earn the chicken truck from Nascar Rumble! We still talk about that game!

As my kids turned into teens, most of the gaming on our consoles became my son playing Halo, Call of Duty, etc. Not necessarily games that I was interested in at the time. I pretty much was at the point that I thought gaming was for kids. Eventually the kids got their own game systems that went into their rooms. And occasionally, we’d still play together. Until one day, one of them bought themselves a new Xbox and their old one found its way hooked up in the living room.

That’s when I rediscovered my love of gaming, in my late 40’s. My youngest introduced me to Lego games. At first I thought why in the world would an adult want to play a kids game? I found out why! Because they’re not always as easy as they appear and breaking things in Lego feels awesome. Ever feel so stressed that you wish you could break your plates, or anything? But you’re an adult and that’s not the best way to handle things. Put on a Lego game and break things to your hearts content! Bonus you’re rewarded for it!

Then my kids starting suggesting playing harder games like Halo, Assasins’ Creed and my all-time favorite, the Star Wars Jedi series. I was absolutely hooked. Using the force to push a storm trooper off a cliff is so much fun. Sounds weird, I know. But when I’ve had a super stressful day, there’s nothing like it. I can take out my stress on something fun.

What do I get out of gaming? It actually helps to reduce my stress. It is fun way to get your mind off whatever is bugging you. I have a clearer mind and since I’m more relaxed, I can deal with my stress better. According to the annual ESA study that came out in 2025 more than half Gen X play video games. And out of that number 48% are women. Citing that they play to keep their minds sharp, reduce stress, and to have fun. There’s just a sense of joy when you beat a level, complete a game, or finally when against a boss fight.

Don’t think you have the time to game? Try to find time to do something for yourself. Hard, I know. I mostly play before bed. I started playing after everyone else when to bed. It helps me wind down. It’s not necessarily the best time to play, but it works for me. I don’t always play every day. but I also like to play on Sunday afternoons too. Just try to carve out some time and have fun. Play with your kids! Get your husband to play. You don’t have to solo game.

Want to start gaming, but not sure where to begin?

Choose a gaming system. Do you want cozy gaming which is low stress, mostly non-violent, then look at Nintendo Switch. Want something that has lots of different types of games, like Star Wars Jedi series, Batman, Lego, Halo, etc. Then look into PlayStation or Xbox. Which one you choose depends on what type of games you want to play. Do your research. And don’t forget about PC gaming!
Do you want a game that you can take with you, or do you want a console that stays at home?
Research games before you buy them. Just because it says E doesn’t mean it’s just meant for little kids. Some games (M rating) contain nudity and some games are pretty violent. Some games are meant to be played solo and then there are games that are co-op. Meaning you would be playing with a group online.
Choose an easy game to start with. Or start what you’re playing on the easiest level.
Stuck trying to figure out your game? There are tons of tutorials and tips on YouTube and Tiktok. Not to mention game streamers.
Have fun! Remember when you were a kid playing? Try to find that joy again, or for the first time.

Gaming for me is just another tool in my toolkit for dealing with life’s stress. Along with reading, prayer, meditation, exercise, time with family and friends, etc. It’s also just something fun to do even when I’m not stressed. It also gives me and my kids (now grown ups) something else to talk about and have in common.

Gaming is a great way for women to reduce stress and have fun. More and more women are gaming. So let me know, do you game, are you going to start? If you play video games, which are your favorites? Be sure to check out some of the cute gaming accessories in the Shop the Post below.