Living with HS: How I Take My Mind Off The Pain
We can all use a little mood boost from time to time. I used to play digital games quite often, but as life happened I focused more of my attention on apps that were social media or productivity-related.
Lately, I’ve been thinking of fun ways to entertain my mind and keep my thoughts off of the pain during flare days. My mind kept going back to fun outlets like games and thus I found myself perusing the app store in search of entertaining games that also promoted feelings of relaxation. This was a fairly easy task as typing “relaxing games” into the search bar presented hundreds of options that would surely cover a variety of interests.
So, the next time I’m in the midst of a bad flare or simply need a mental pick me up, I’ll choose from the following options.
Games that use stunning visuals to calm your mind
Fluid Simulation
When I’m in the mood to mindlessly spend my time playing around with exciting color combinations, Fluid Simulation is my go-to. This app has a simple yet relaxing design that allows you to change the settings of fire and water like speed, lighting, viscosity, and resolution in order to create the most appealing image for you. With this, I like to create stunning combinations that help to distract my mind from feelings of pain or other life stressors.
Virtual Slime
This app is an ASMR simulator where you can actually make your slime and play with the outcome as you would real slime. I have found slime videos to be super relaxing in the past and this game comes quite close to this experience for me. The user has the ability to create shapes with slime and even make cool creations like glow in the dark and crunchy slime.
Happy Color
I was never much of a coloring type of person, but Happy Color is another way to look at interesting pictures and clear the mind for me. Happy Color is an adult digital coloring book that offers a selection of images in various categories like animals, places, hobbies, and flowers to name a few. The app adds new pictures and colors on a daily basis, so there is always something new to discover.
Try simulation games that demand your attention
Pluck It
Lately, I have been enjoying watching skincare videos that show estheticians removing hair and clearing pores. This might sound gross to some people, but it can actually be really relaxing. For me, Pluck It is an interesting option that helps to settle emotions as different emotions are expressed each time you pull a hair. This game is definitely unique, but I find that it is incredibly relaxing and a welcome distraction from small stressors in life.
Tangle Master
Sometimes I find that I would rather choose a game that stimulates my mind and presents a puzzle that I have to solve. Tangle Master is the perfect solution for this because it provides levels of ropes that are tangled that you must untangle. As you probably guessed, the levels increase in difficulty as time goes on but the game mostly serves as a relaxing outlet to pass the time.
I Peel Good
For a small dose of relaxation that is combined with educational content, I Peel Good can be fun to peel produce while also learning about what you peeled. This is also an interesting concept because the produce looks realistic and you get an ASMR experience as you peel. I tend to enjoy most things that have an ASMR aspect so this is a calming choice for me.
Pot Master
For people who like creating with their hands, Pot Master allows you to create realistic 3D ceramic pottery with your fingers. This game can be satisfying by allowing you to choose gameplay where there are different levels or you can choose to create whatever shapes you want. I would like to try my hand at pottery someday, but for now, this app serves as a fun introduction that also offers relaxing benefits.
Create your own digital happy place
My Oasis
My Oasis is an island builder game that allows you to interact with the surrounding life in a relaxing manner. During gameplay, the island expands introducing new life that you can treat as a virtual zen garden. The game boasts calming sounds that promote relaxation and interaction with animals which can also lift my mood from time to time.
No matter what healthy outlets you choose to distract yourself from the pain, I am a huge proponent of having fun and finding outlets that boost my mood. Regardless of how simple the activity may be, it is important to find something that gives you a little relief.
Join the conversation