Entertainment plays a huge role in people’s lives, as it allows you to relax, learn, and cultivate relationships. This concept is backed up by numerous studies demonstrating its importance for mental and physical health.
For instance, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), entertainment activities can reduce stress, which is especially important in today’s fast-paced society. A survey by the APA research team indicated that 94% of participants believed having fun reduced stress levels and allowed them to relax. Similarly, an analysis of several studies published by the University of Southern California revealed that people who took part in leisure activities reported significantly lower levels of anxiety compared to those who didn’t take part in any leisure activities.
Entertainment happens in various ways, but electronics usually dominate the field. With the numerous online games, consoles, gaming laptops, and streaming services available, it’s easy to get lost in electronic entertainment.
However, there are other ways to be entertained without relying on electronics. Moreover, their benefits might even be more significant than electronic entertainment. Here are a few you should try.
Board Games
Board games are an excellent form of entertainment that everyone can enjoy. Not only are they fun, but they can also provide social benefits. Board games allow players to interact with each other meaningfully while engaging in strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Playing board games teaches players to manage resources, plan strategies, and think strategically to win the game. In addition to this, board games help foster communication, collaboration, and social interaction among players. The overall benefits make it enough for board games to be a good form of entertainment.
Board games come in many forms and offer various levels of complexity for all ages. Here are a few classics you should try with family and friends:
Monopoly
Monopoly involves buying and trading properties, developing them with houses and hotels, collecting rent from other players, and ultimately bankrupting your opponents. It is a great game to play when looking for something fun yet challenging.
Scrabble
Scrabble is a word-building game that requires players to create words using letter tiles placed on the board. It tests your vocabulary skills and ability to spell correctly while competing against others or the clock.
Chess
Chess has long been recognized as one of the most popular two-player board games in history. Chess teaches players how to think and plan by utilizing strategies that involve managing pieces on a board to capture their opponent’s king.
Mental Challenges
Entertaining yourself using electronics can be easy, but it can also be a bit too mindless and repetitive. If you’d like to try something different, tackle some mental challenges instead. The mental benefits will be more rewarding and expansive.
Crosswords
Crosswords are a great way to exercise your brain while still having fun. They require you to think outside the box, use deductive reasoning, and devise creative solutions while testing your knowledge of vocabulary and language. You can find crosswords in newspapers and magazines or even online. You can also subscribe to the best crossword puzzle books to give yourself more of a challenge.
Sudoku
Sudoku is another tremendous mental challenge that requires players to fill in the empty cells on a 9×9 grid following specific number placement rules. The goal is to ensure that no numbers repeat horizontally or vertically within the grid. Sudoku is an excellent game for honing problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities.
Puzzles
Puzzles come in many forms and can be both entertaining and educational. Working on puzzles trains your brain to think logically while enhancing your attention to detail. Puzzles are great for people of all ages, as they are available from easy to advanced difficulty levels.
Outdoor Activities
Being outdoors has numerous benefits for physical and mental health, so it’s essential to get out there whenever possible. Outside does more than give you a change of scenery; it also provides some much-needed vitamin D, boosts mood, reduces stress levels, improves sleep quality, and increases concentration.
You don’t have to do anything too strenuous or expensive either; simple activities such as going for walks, picnicking at the park, or having a water balloon fight are enough to provide you with some entertainment.
If it’s raining or cold outside, try setting up an indoor scavenger hunt for family and friends. All you need is a few items around the house and creative instructions to make it exciting!
Final Thoughts
Whatever activity you choose, remember that entertainment doesn’t always have to involve electronics. There are plenty of other ways to be entertained without relying on them, and these activities can often offer more benefits in terms of mental stimulation, social connection, and physical health. So take the time to break away from your screens and get creative with your entertainment options! You might even find something new that you enjoy more than electronic entertainment.