The hype around the release of the new GTA game got me thinking about how to maintain your work/life/gaming balance in the face of a shiny new game. :)My tips are: link your gaming time to a productivity goal (ie as a reward for completing a task) if you fear you’re not getting enough exercise, make your gaming and exercise time a 1:1 ratio – ie exercise for an hour to earn an hour of gaming time particularly if you play group-oriented games like World of Warcraft, reduce your time commitment – ie if your guild expects you to raid 3-5 times a week, but you decide you don’t want to commit that much time to the game, you need to tell your guild you can’t commit to that much time in-game anymore. You may need to drop down to casual status in your guild, or even leave your guild to achieve this. break the habit. Just as you can mindlessly waste time online by switching the computer on whenever you have some spare time, gaming can become a major time suck if you log in automatically first thing in the morning, or as soon as you get home in the evening. Break that habit, and you’ll probably end up playing less (and enjoying it more when you do).
Got any other tips for keeping your game time under control? Share in comments please. More »
