Everyday Mindfulness

Hi guys,
I really enjoy playing video game from time to time, but i am never able to stay mindful during playing.
Do you have any tips or tricks on how to tackle this problem?

Hi Mayllo,
This is such an interesting question.
Most of us, from time to time, enjoy losing ourselves in something like a televised football, a good movie or a video game and I doubt anyone would argue that this is, in itself a bad thing. We all need to unwind and we all have our preferred options.
Having raised a teenage boy, I know that video games can be rather addictive. If I hadn't made an effort to ration the time he spent in front of his Nintendo, my son would happily have spent all day playing Sonic The Hedgehog, Super Mario or Street Fighter. And I doubt anyone would argue that was a good thing.
Some balance is required here.
By all means lose yourself in a game. But maybe try to be mindful in the sense of forming an intention beforehand to play for a certain amount of time, and stick to it. When you're playing, just play, and enjoy yourself. Perhaps be mindful about what you eat and drink while you are playing games or unwinding in some other way. When I used to watch football on the TV (I've lost interest in recent years), I'd often binge on snacks and soft drinks (or beer) without being remotely conscious of what I was stuffing my face with. Maybe be mindful of your posture while you are playing. Be conscious of sitting upright rather than slumping. Maybe take short breaks and check in on your breathing...Other than that, enjoy the fact that you are unwinding.
All good things,
Jon

I totally agree with Jon.

And I like to add that it isn't our goal to be present all the time. Mindfulness is also about sensing when something is 'useful' and when not. When one is playing a game or watching a movie, it would totally kill the sense of immersiveness if one would be present constantly. It would most probably even influence one's game score. Like Jon said, it's better then to take breaks etc.

The main idea of mindfulness is to go WITH function.

Peter

'And I like to add that it isn't our goal to be present all the time.'

Thanks Peter. That's a crucial point.
If you are driving a car, all you need to do is drive and avoid crashing into other cars and pedestrians. That's being mindful enough. If, however, you are stuck in a traffic jam for thirty minutes, you might want to to be bring awareness to your breath, your body, the sights around you etc. rather than sitting there and tearing your hair out. Or, while you are driving, you might want to be aware of all the negative thoughts spinning around your head. Just notice this is happening. But, most importantly, drive safely.
But to aim to be mindful all the time is a completely unrealistic idea. If you are watching a great movie, just watch the movie and enjoy it. If your kids walk in during a key scene and start making a noise, that's an opportunity to be mindful. Rather than yell at them, pause the movie, and gently explain that you'd appreciate a bit of peace and quiet right now.
Every moment is an invitation to be mindful. But mindfulness is not the same as being self-conscious. We can bring discretion to each situation and make choices accordingly.
Cheers,
Jon

JonW wrote:Every moment is an invitation to be mindful. But mindfulness is not the same as being self-conscious. We can bring discretion to each situation and make choices accordingly.

Beautifully put!

Thank you for those wonderful answers.
Lets take different approach, rather then playing casual, or story immersing games I play competitive games.
And what I want to achieve is to be mindful about what is off the screen (minimap, enemy players position, and sounds) but im lost in thoughts and I am aware only of things that are happening on screen.

Mayllo wrote:And what I want to achieve is to be mindful about what is off the screen (minimap, enemy players position, and sounds) but im lost in thoughts and I am aware only of things that are happening on screen.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this.

In my experience, awareness is something that can be trained. This is what meditation is after all.

Why not fire up the game and try a 20-minute exercise of trying to be aware of the mini-map, or the other things you talk about. Keep training that aspect of your awareness, and it should get better.

I agree totally with Gareth. Meditation in general should help you, and you can train your awareness specifically for these games by trying to be aware for a short time, and slowly increasing that time.
Peter