Continuing our focus on healthy gaming practice, we asked our varsity esports players to share their strategies for healthy game play, and how they prepare mentally and physically before a match. Here’s what our League of Legends recommends players do to be their best selves during their competitions.
(The following is the personal opinion of our players. None of our players’ recommendations should be considered official medical advice. Techniques and results may vary for individuals. Consult a healthcare professional if you are having mental or physical health symptoms.)
Bradley McKendry
NIU League of Legends Varsity Coach
The best preparation for a match starts a full week before! All the tips involving eating well, exercising, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep are fantastic things to do day-of, but you really feel the greatest effects of good self-care after maintaining it for an extended period of time. Taking breaks BEFORE a long loss streak is one of the best ways to stop burnout.
Tilt queue is real, not because of sinister matchmaking but because everything seems so much worse when you’re tilted. The game where you start to feel it should be the last for a few hours. On game day, setting realistic expectations for yourself and your team helps to temper the frustration of things going wrong.
Another stretch for gamers I don’t see mentioned often enough is eye stretches! There are exercises you can do to keep your peepers quick and alert. These including looking as far in a direction as possible, focusing/unfocusing the eyes, and looking at things at various distances.
Watch Dr. Levi Harrison share some quick exercises to improve eye strain.
