Are you struggling to come out on top in ranked matches? Tired of circling the drain at the bottom of the leaderboards? Just because you know a game and its mechanics inside and out, there’s no guarantee you’ll succeed competitively. Take a look at your favorite esports athletes for inspiration. Admittedly, they’ve been training for years to get where they are, but there’s not a huge gulf between you and them in terms of technical ability. What sets them apart from the average gamer? It’s all about psychology. Getting into a good gaming mindset takes work, but it’s not impossible. Read on for some essential tips on how to leverage Psych 101 to your advantage and boost your gaming mindset.
Critical Thinking
Video games are a great source of escapism. If you’re looking to destress and blow away the cobwebs at the end of a long day, there’s nothing better than firing up a console and spending a few hours immersed in your favorite game. However, if you want to improve your gaming, you need to start approaching your playtime more critically. Unfortunately, keeping track of what’s going on becomes impossible when you’re caught up in a punishing boss battle or facing impossible odds in an online first-person shooter.
You’ll need to be able to assess your gameplay after you put the controller down. All current-generation consoles support screen recording, so make sure you’re using it. If you’re a PC gamer, make sure your machine is kitted out with screen recording software so have a valuable reference point for studying your gameplay. You might wince at those schoolboy errors as you watch your gameplay back, but it’s a necessary evil and will help you become a much better gamer.
Stay Positive
Video games have gotten a bad rap for years, but recent studies suggest they offer many mental health benefits. Nonetheless, it’s important to maintain a positive mindset when gaming, especially if you’re playing to win.
As with traditional sports, you’re never going to secure an unbroken winning streak. You might have had an easy time of things with a Herald rank, but things get a lot more competitive as you move into Guardian matches. Just because you’re losing more, doesn’t mean you’re a bad player. It’s worth taking a look at player rank distribution to see where you stand. While the odds become more stacked against you, they’re not impossible. Start approaching your matches with a positive mindset and embrace the challenge, rather than throw in the towel after a string of losses.
Why Teams Need To Embrace Talking Therapy
Do you tend to play Dota 2 with the same people? While you’d think it’d be easier to mentally prepare for a game if you’re playing along seasoned players, the reality can be different. When a team loses enough times,
In theory, playing alongside other gamers should make it easier to mentally prepare for a game. In reality, successive losses can easily derail a team and affect everyone’s performance. Take a look at www.1337pro.com/en/dota2/tournament-schedule. All these S-Tier teams suffer from the same self-doubt as everyday gamers. When they lose a match, it can wreak havoc on inter-team relations and throw the whole roster into disarray. Established teams can lack outside perspective, especially if they don’t have a long-standing coach supporting them. However, even a coach can’t play mediator all the time. The best way to resolve team disagreements is to talk it out. Not everyone is going to end up on the same page, but giving each player their moment on the soapbox is great for team morale.