Meeple Design is a company centred around creativity and working through the pandemic has been difficult at times. Fortunately for us, we are able to play board games at least once a week and our favourite hobby can be an excellent source of stress relief, helping maintain general health in a number of different ways. To highlight various ways that board games can help improve our creativity and health, Eva Benoit has provided the below top tips with some useful links so carry on reading to get started.
For many, creativity comes as natural as breathing, while for others, it is a process that needs some refining. However you choose to use your creativity, it is important to keep the stream of great ideas and thoughts flowing. Many people don’t realize that playing games is a great way to help develop your creative process! Here are a few tips to get you started in the right direction.
While maintaining excellent physical health is essential to your well-being, it is also appropriate to exercise your mind as well. When you allow yourself time to focus your attention on games and puzzles, you activate your critical-thinking skills. Sharpening this skill set alone will provide you the benefit of making clear and rational decisions.
A lot of times, when you are faced with a creative drought, all you really need is redirection. You simply need to find a task to hone in on, while releasing stress. Playing a game such as solitaire will allow you a break from exertion while subconsciously putting your brain to work. As you are thinking of strategic ways to place the cards, you are also training your brain to think outside of the box while allowing new ideas and new ways of thinking to present themselves. If you are bored of Solitaire then you can continue to engage your brain and with problem solving skills with solo board games such as; Friday, Spirit Island or The 7th Continent.
Jigsaw puzzles are also a great way to enhance your creativity especially with board gamification like the recent release from The Magic Puzzle Company which includes a surprise upon completion of the puzzle keeping your brain engaged until the very end. Puzzles allow you to look at the bigger picture as you try to piece everything together bit by bit. Subsequently, your mind will begin to present ideas to you that you otherwise may have not considered. Puzzles give you the opportunity to expand your problem-solving skills which in turn can help develop your creative thinking process.
Playing video games is also a great way to enhance your creativity. On top of that, video games can relieve stress and improve decision making skills. When playing video games, make sure you have all the necessary equipment including a stable Wi-Fi connection and high quality gaming headset.
Playing board games is also a great way to enhance your creativity. On top of that, board games can relieve stress and improve decision making skills. You will gain passively from the numerous health benefits just by playing board games for fun and whatever your primary reason for playing all you need is a copy of your favourite game.
When you are looking to improve your creativity by playing games, you may prefer to do it alone or play with or against others. When you opt to add competition, your creativity will sprout as you think of ways to one-up your opponent. Friendly competition through crunchy board games like one of the Meeple Design favourites Brass, which forces you to think broadly, which is an important creative skill to possess. Whether as a result of the Pandemic or due to distance from your gaming group it is now easier than ever to play remotely with your friends and family to engage creativity from competition.
Should you choose to play games alone, this grants you the opportunity to have a moment to regroup and gather your thoughts. Perhaps time away from your co-workers or a crowd is just what you need to thrive creatively.
Playing games is a fun yet effective way to harness your creative thinking. If you’re in a creative rut, instead of giving in to frustration, repurpose that energy into a leisure game of choice. The mental timeout will grant you the clarity you need in order to rebound. You can always keep your favourite games close to play by via your phone, computer, or set up to on your table to play the physical version of the board game. When you feel yourself headed in the direction of a creative slump, give yourself a break by playing a game!