Why Gaming Can Help Hockey Players Better Manage Stress – Colorado Hockey Now

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Being a professional hockey player can be a stressful job. They can’t afford to miss scoring or concede a goal and they must be on top form all the time. Having an off day is not an option like it is in other jobs and the pressure is intense. Many hockey players use gaming as a way of helping to manage stress and there are several reasons for this. 
What could be better than curling up in the comfort of your own home and visiting an online casino? There is all the glitz and glamour of being in a place like Las Vegas or Monte Carlo without the inconvenience of having to get dressed or leave the house. It is about as far away from a stressful game of hockey as you can get and the only one who wants you to perform well is you. No wonder gaming can help players escape from a stressful job. 
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The world of a hockey player is incredibly stressful. There is a lot of pressure to perform and win and this comes from lots of different directions. If a player doesn’t manage this stress well it is easy for them to become overwhelmed which causes them even more stress. This can be a downward spiral. To help them manage this they need to be able to step off the ice and focus on something else entirely for a while. Gaming is a fantastic way for them to stop themselves from becoming overwhelmed and manage the stress they are surrounded by. 
If a player takes out their frustration on their opponent on the ice, it can get them into trouble. It could even cost them the game. However, hockey players can get frustrated if things don’t go their way and they need a way of getting rid of this frustration before it turns into stress. That is where gaming comes in. There is nothing like a high-speed car chase or the chance to shoot bad guys for getting rid of stress and help hockey players keep their frustration in check. 
Although hockey is an enjoyable game to watch, for the players it is also full of tension. Many of them enjoy managing their stress through gaming because it is something they can enjoy immensely without the downside of being pressured to perform by other players, managers, or fans. The only person putting pressure on them to succeed is themselves and this can come as a welcome relief to hockey players who are struggling to manage the stress of the job. 
Gaming can be a fantastic way for hockey players to hone some of the skills they will need on the ice. They need to be able to concentrate for extended periods of time and their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills need to be second to none. Gaming helps them improve in these areas even when they are not practising or playing a game. They certainly reap the rewards when they do strap on their skates and hit the ice though. 
You need to have a lot of confidence to be able to step onto the ice and play hockey in front of thousands of people. Hockey players need to spend time working on their confidence to make themselves believe that they can win. Gaming helps them to gain confidence because they can win and feel good about themselves doing so. This in turn helps them to manage stress and trust themselves to do a brilliant job. 
Many professional hockey players find it difficult to manage their stress in a safe, effective way. Unfortunately, some of them turn to drink and drugs which only leads to more stress and can signal the end of their careers and the ruination of their health. It is therefore important for players to find a different outlet for their stress that isn’t going to be harmful and many of them have found gaming to be a healthier way to manage stress. This is not as damaging to their health, and it won’t end their careers. 
A major cause of stress is insomnia. If you are unable to sleep, it is almost impossible to get up the next day and go to work like you have had a good night’s sleep. You will suffer from tiredness which causes a lack of concentration and the inability to perform your job as well as you could. Now imagine that you are in a hockey stadium surrounded by thousands of fans, and you haven’t slept the night before and can’t concentrate enough to remember your own name, let alone score the winning goal. Just thinking about that makes hockey players come out in a cold sweat and the thought of insomnia keeps them up at night. 
It is important that they can relax enough before a big match to sleep well and rest their bodies enough to put in a stunning performance on the ice and many of them find that gaming helps them to manage stress well enough to sleep well. 
These are the main reasons why gaming can help hockey players to manage their stress. However, many other professional people find their jobs stressful too. If you are one of the millions who could use a welcome break and a change of concentration when you get home from work perhaps gaming could work for you as well as it does for the professional hockey players. It might be worth a try.
NHL players known for their extravagant lives outside the rink
Adrian Dater – Kiss and Larry Bird fan. Writer with @Gambling and @Bookies, Avs Insider with 104.3 The Fan. Denver Post, SI, Bleacher Report alum, author of seven books.
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