First things first: why is overthinking a problem?
Ever wondered what's common between raindrops and our thoughts? We can't possibly count both of them. According to a University of Michigan study from 2021, 73 percent of persons between the ages of 25 and 35 consistently overthink.
We tend to worry a lot about the 'what ifs' and renumerate often about the past and future. A cluttered and overthinking mind often keeps a mental to-do list, including incomplete dreams and goals. In fact, clinically speaking: This thinking pattern cause exhaustion, tiredness, and burnout which ends up impacting one's attention, focus, and concentration. Consequently, our self-esteem and anxiety levels take a hit.
Can neuroscience games really help then?
Yes, they totally can. In a research done by the Mental Health Foundation UK earlier this year, it was shown that three out of five gamers (or 60%) said that playing video games helps their mental health. If you go back in time and remember the hours you spent playing simple games like Candy Crush, Temple Run, and Subway Surfers: you will recall how it gave you an excellent escape to express your emotions.
In this light, MindPeers has launched the world's first neuroscience game to tackle overthinking called 'My Clear Sky.' You can play it here.
How does 'My Clear Sky' help with overthinking?
Let's break this down and understand it better from a clinical perspective:
-- When we associate our emotions or the clutter in our brain with written words, our emotional reactions reduce greatly, making the experience of trauma less intense. Professor and researcher Matthew D. Lieberman from UCLA explained that putting feelings into words is like hitting a break when you see a yellow light. And once we disclose our emotions and thoughts, we are able to verbalise them. This engages our neocortical functioning, thus making it possible to look at the situation from a less exaggerated perspective, processing what is happening, reflecting, and making room for healing.
-- The most important attribute to getting things done is focus. You can give yourself lot of time to finish something, but it won’t get done unless you focus on the task. Decluttering helps you find that focus. Moreover, decluttering can help in your everyday life, it impacts your sleep, relationships, happiness and clears your mind from unnecessary thoughts. This helps you to believe in yourself and feel a sense of achievement.
-- In our new game, My Clear Sky, putting your thoughts onto the clouds allows you to take one step towards separating them from yourself. Once this happens, it's possible to look at them as ‘thoughts’ instead of ‘my thoughts,’ thus the detachment. Having this space allows you to set boundaries and not overstep and spill over the rest of your life.
Excited much? Because we sure are. Try the game out today! 😄