Quality Gaming Time

I find the best way to improve my gaming experience is through playing co-op games with those I can't easily see in person regularly. Planning a couple of hours to play 1 day a week goes a long way to keep in touch with people. 

When I play games, I usually turn off the music and SFX and listen to something like a podcast, a documentary, or even an audiobook. Helps me pay attention and focus more, counterintuitively.

I find that for me, especially lately, pulling back from multiplayer games and putting my attention on story based or even just single player games has been rejuvenating. Not having to grind out levels for a battlepass just for cosmetics, not having to deal with griefing, teaming, or overall frustration aspects of team play outside of my control has made a world of difference. I can play at my own pass, I can lose myself in a great story and come away from my gaming time excited about the next time I play rather than drained and frustrated. Doing that has spilled into my life where I put myself first more often than trying to "be a team player."  I reconnected with my mindfulness of my emotions and what sits well with me rather than scattering my energy trying to manage or catch up with what others are doing.

I consider gaming a substitution for other forms of entertainment that could potentially is more costly, such as clubbing. Gaming to me is also about quality and the experience. I don't like games to stress me out (at least not too much), so although I play MMORPGs I do it casually.

Set aside time to game and stick to the block of time

Mostly I make sure I am able to focus on gaming when I do it, considering the other distractions in my life. I have a bunch of other things to do, like read, hike, bike, camp, pull out my telescope, play my guitar...

Enjoyment outside of gaming has to be simple nature things. Taking walks and snapping photos, playing with my dog outside, just kinda mellow stuff I suppose. Mellow activities that are full filling to me. I don't know if you live in a city or a rural area but taking a walk in a wooded area is always relaxing for me. I also enjoy baking and cooking new recipes to learn and create something new. 

These all sound like great ideas for this weekend.

Determine what you want to achieve during your gaming session. Whether it's completing a specific quest, improving your skills, or just having fun, having clear goals can make your time more fulfilling.