Look. I love gaming. You love gaming. That’s why we are both here instead of, I don’t know, learning how mortgages work. But somewhere between all the seasonal events happening simultaneously across all your MMOs, gaming went from something fun I do for joy to a stressful obligation.
Burnout is real. Luckily, I do have tips for creating a gaming routine that keeps you excited to log in. Here’s how I’ve (mostly) figured it out.
1. Set Gaming Goals
Ok, hear me out. You don’t need a Notion to-do list full of things you have to do in games you play. Take it easy and just pick a vibe. Do small things at a time, for example:
- Finish the FF7 remake before your friends spoil it.
- Chill with Animal Crossing and make 87 variations of the same picnic, if that’s what you want to do.
- If you want to get good at aiming in Apex, take your time to practice, but like… slowly.
Knowing why you’re playing helps you dodge that terrible feeling of playing out of guilt. If you find yourself logging into a game just because your daily login reward guilt-tripped you into it, well, you might be in the burnout zone already.
The goal isn’t to “optimize” gaming like it’s your side hustle. It’s to reclaim gaming as a space of joy.
2. One Brain, One Game
You can technically play seven games at once. I did. I became numb at some point, and trust me, that was not nice.
Multigaming is fine if it brings you joy, but if you find yourself forgetting who is who, storylines, and which protagonist is dead, it’s time to start taking it easy.
Try a loose rotation:
- Main game – your current obsession
- Side game – something chill
- Rotating guest star – try out something new, guilt-free
This keeps things fresh without the emotional chaos of trying to progress in four open-world RPGs at the same time.
3. Take Breaks
Gaming is still screen time. Rest your eyes, stretch, let your brain exist in silence for five minutes so your quest log stops echoing in your dreams.
I used to feel bad about stepping away from games. But gaming breaks are holy. They reset the magic. Take time off, and you’ll come back to your favorite game, thinking, “Oh wow, I missed this.”
Note
If a game gets annoying when you come back? That’s not burnout. That’s just a bad game. Skip it.
4. Create a Gaming Routine
If your weeks are full of other obligations and you never know when you’ll have time to game, that will definitely add stress. So what you can do is to give yourself “gaming windows.” Here’s what worked for me and hopefully will work for you too:
- Cozy Sunday = Sims + coffee
- Tuesday nights = Group co-op chaos
- Friday = Experimental indie game roulette
It feels better knowing there’s time set aside for it. It’s like a little reward, something that will definitely bring you joy!
5. Mix Passive and Active Gaming
Some games demand your soul. Others just want you to vibe. You need both.
If all your games are intense, your brain will eventually file for unemployment. Mix in low-stakes games:
- Cosy builder?
- Puzzle game with a lo-fi soundtrack?
- Something where you only click a banana? Perfect.
Your gaming diet should be balanced. Like food.
6. It’s Okay to Quit
This is your annual reminder that you don’t have to finish every game you start. I hereby grant you the emotional DLC that lets you uninstall a game after 3 hours if it’s not clicking.
Life is short. There are too many games. If it feels like homework, it’s not for you, at least not right now. Future you might love it, but current you is allowed to decline it.
7. Community, But With Boundaries
Gaming with others can be incredible… or incredibly draining. If your group’s “casual session” turns into mandatory raids with spreadsheets and team evaluations, ask yourself: is this fun?
You’re allowed to say no. You’re allowed to ghost a game chat for a weekend. You’re allowed to mute Discord when you just want to fish in peace.
Thanks for coming to my TED talk about not making your hobby feel like a second job. If this helped you, then my mission here is complete. If you enjoyed this post, smash that bookmark button, and subscribe to norpan.co for more gamer brain survival tips and cozy chaos. Catch you in the next post, my dear Norpaners.
