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Wellness Wednesday: Let’s Play A Game
The way people talk about health and wellness sometimes makes it sound like a second job. “You’ve got to work on yourself,” “put the work in,” “rise and grind.” For some people, that can be an effective motivator to frame exercise and health in terms of labor. For others, it can be a powerful disincentive. “I already work all day; can’t I have fun in the gym?”
If you make something you SHOULD do into something you WANT to do, that can make a huge difference in your ability to follow-through and meet your goals. That’s why turning self-work into a form of play is so important. That’s where gamification comes in.
What Is Gamification?
According to the fine folks at Merriam-Webster, gamification is “the process of adding games or game-like elements to something (such as a task) so as to encourage participation.” In health and wellness terms gamification involves adding a spirit of play to motivate you to stay on task. This can involve things like:
- Creating a system of milestones to work toward
- Developing a rewards structure so you have treats and fun experiences to look forward to when you hit your goals
- Keeping score
- Working out with friends to inspire some friendly competition
Accountability is one of the most important aspects of cultivating good health and wellness. It’s almost-impossible to build any kind of momentum with an exercise routine if you’re inconsistent with it. The trick is to find any way that works for YOU that keeps you engaged, that makes you want to show up. Turning it into something that’s fun for you will go a long way toward keeping you in the game of becoming a better you.
Beat The Levels
One of the easiest gamification principles to add to your routine is milestones. Think of them as the “levels” in a classic video game like Super Mario Bros. Completing a milestone gives you a tangible sense of accomplishment. The milestone itself doesn’t have to be super ambitious, and it doesn’t even have to change: a great example is the 10,0000 steps a day goal for walking. Most fitness trackers and pedometers will reward you with flashing images or vibrations when you hit that mark. It’s a small thing but it can feel really good to get that confirmation when you hit that milestone. And once you hit a few times, the new game can be how long can you keep hitting it on a daily basis without breaking that chain?
Don’t Break The Chain
Another simple game structure comes from the comedian Jerry Seinfeld: Don’t break the chain. It goes like this: Seinfeld developed a productivity method where he would write jokes every day and mark an X on a large wall calendar whenever he finished writing. That’s it. The goal for Seinfeld was to not break that chain of X’s on the calendar- to have a perfect streak of daily writing. “Don’t Break The Chain” can be applied to dieting, healthy eating, exercise, meditation, journaling; anything you want to turn into a regular part of your life could be encouraged by this practice.
The Sweet Rewards
Hitting milestones and keeping chains intact is a lot easier if you have something to look forward to. Consider making a system of incentives for yourself. Perhaps it’s a cheat day where you eat your favorite foods guilt-free. Maybe it’s getting a massage or a spa day. It could be something as simple as buying a new book. Again, like the milestones, the reward doesn’t have to be anything big or audacious—it just has to feel like something you EARNED. The fruits of one’s labor always taste sweeter.
The Power Of Numbers
Why did people spend their lunch money playing Tetris and Pac-Man at arcades? It’s all about the scores. Getting that high score is a powerful motivator in work and play. Few things give you more of a confirmation that you’ve accomplished something like seeing a good number go up, up, up or watching a bad one plummet. That’s why it can be so valuable to track your progress. Whether it’s recording your weight, monitoring your blood pressure, or keeping track of how many reps you did today, keeping a scoreboard of your progress helps keep you honest about the efficacy of your routines and can motivate you to keep pushing to break your personal record.
Article by Austin Brietta