Gaming on a Tight Schedule – 8 Tips for Keeping up (Even With a Full-Time Job)
If you’ve recently gotten a full-time job or had your free time drastically cut by any other obligations, you might be wondering how you’ll be able to keep up with your favorite hobby. With amazing new games releasing all the time, it seems almost impossible to stay on top of things. While gaming certainly can be very time-consuming, it’s possible to get your fill even if you’re a very busy person.
Here’s how we recommend making the most of your limited time.
1. Track How You’re Spending Your Time
It’s hard to optimize if you don’t know where you stand. That’s why the first tip we have for you is figuring out how you’re actually spending your time. While you might think that you already know how you spend your time, chances are you’re pretty off. Most of us aren’t as self-aware as we think we are.
While you don’t have to figure out how you’re spending your time on a minute-by-minute basis, getting a rough overview of what’s really happening with your day is going to be important if you want to optimize your schedule. You can track your screen time (both on your computer and phone) and try to write down what you did during the other hours of the day. Do this for at least a week to get an accurate picture of what your day-to-day life looks like.
2. Consider What You’re Willing to Sacrifice
Now that you know what you’re really spending your time on in your day-to-day life, it’s time to start cutting out what doesn’t really matter. What do you spend time on that you don’t really care about? Even if you enjoy it, would you miss it if it weren’t a part of your life?
Go through the activities and things that take up most of your time (that aren’t obligatory) and ask yourself if they really add to your life. If you’re not sure, you can try going without them for a week or even a month. Do you miss them? If not, commit to removing them from your schedule in favor of things that actually matter to you.
3. Make Use of Short Breaks
If you find yourself scrolling, chatting, or simply bored during short breaks throughout the day, this could be a perfect time to fill with some gaming to brighten up your day.
Of course, not all types of games are suitable for mini-sessions of gameplay. Mobile games are often best for short breaks, and especially idle games or even casino games are great for when you want some excitement but don’t have the time to really dive in.
While a casino card game like poker might not be ideal for a limited time span, either playing a slot game or a round of roulette works. By choosing an online site that accepts crypto, you can get started quickly and anonymously from anywhere in the world. (Source: https://99bitcoins.com/best-bitcoin-casino/bitcoin-roulette-sites/)
4. Prioritize Quality Over Quantity
So maybe you can’t find more than a few hours a week to dedicate to gaming. But what you can most likely do is improve the quality of the time spent gaming.
You’ll do this by making your gaming time a carved-out time on your schedule where you can enjoy playing completely without guilt. Ensure the settings are optimized for your device with the best possible graphics without causing lag. You can, of course, also upgrade your equipment and make your gaming space cozier with the right lighting and decor. Something as simple as grabbing a refrigerated energy drink or cold ice tea to sip between rounds can really improve the whole experience.
Then just try to get a few of these really intentional gaming sessions per week. Even if you’re not spending a huge volume of time gaming, the time you do spend will feel satisfying.
5. Game While Others Watch TV or Scroll
If other people in your life relax through binge-watching TV or scrolling TikTok, it’s easy to end up doing the same out of habit and convenience. But for you, gaming might actually be a higher priority than these other shared passive activities, and then you should absolutely not be shy to go and do your own thing.
By dedicating time when your partner or other loved ones are busy with something that doesn’t really interest you, you won’t miss out on much, and everyone can enjoy what they most like. Talking to your loved ones might be a good idea, though. That way, they’ll understand it’s not anything against them – you’re just being more intentional with your time.
6. Use a Couple of Vacation Days for Gaming
Who says you need to go on vacation to enjoy a couple of days off? Nothing wrong with dedicating your off-days to gaming; it’s just as valid as anything else you might want to do with the limited number of days per year that you can take off.
If you have friends with whom you usually game, you can even all plan to take the same days off and dedicate them to a long gaming marathon together. You could even throw a full-fledged LAN party!
7. Combine Gaming With Your Social Life
It’s important to make time for your relationships, but hey, what if you can game while bonding with your buddies? For those of your friends who are also gamers, you can maximize your time by socializing while gaming.
Of course, gaming is not for everyone, and we’re not suggesting you cut out the people in your life who can’t enjoy a good gaming session. But for those who really do like it, it’s two birds with one stone!
You might also find that even some of the friends you didn’t suspect enjoyed gaming do like it in one form or another. Even if it’s just some casual phone games or even board games, it can be fun to explore different genres together.
8. Accept That This Might Be a Busy Season
If you, in spite of trying everything, can’t cram as much gaming as you’d like into your schedule, it’s possible that right now is just a really busy time for you and that gaming will have to take the backseat for a while. It’s natural that there are seasons in life when we just have less time, and trying to fight it with unrealistic expectations is only going to stress you out more.
That doesn’t mean you’ll never get properly back into gaming, either. It just means that right now you’re focusing on other things in life. Your favorite games (and new releases!) will be there waiting for you when you get back.
Final Thoughts: Figuring Out What Works for You
Two things that are important to consider while going through a transition that leaves you less time for doing what you love are the following: 1) you’ll adjust naturally in a couple of weeks, and 2) figuring out what schedule works for you will take a bit of time and experimentation.
What works best for someone else isn’t guaranteed to work for you, so take tips from others (including us!) with a grain of salt. As long as you’re patient and intentional, you’ll figure out something that works for your needs while fitting your life.