Hearthstone

4 things to consider to improve at gaming without playing

Out of Game Improvement

There are many avenues that competitive players can take to improve at gaming. Many gamers do not take care of themselves outside of the game. Not being at your peak physical condition can be detrimental to your win rate and competitive edge. Many contributing factors can cause you to play at suboptimal levels, and I’m going to go over a few of them.

The importance of sleep for improving at gaming

Sleep is a critical part of everyone’s life, and yet many of us gamers tend to place it low on the list of priorities when considering how to improve at gaming. The fact is that we, as humans, cannot function without a good night’s rest. The CDC recommends that the average adult gets 7 hours or more per night.

The CDC also reports that drowsiness is responsible for over 72,000 car crashes in 2013 in the United States alone. Drowsiness affects your ability to drive the same way it affects playing games. Concentration becomes tougher, which causes you to make more mistakes. If your goal is to improve, playing on your A-game as often as possible is vital.

Many competitive players like to stay up later to play more games. While it is true that more games often means being more successful, those games must be of high quality. I found that playing after 11:00 pm is detrimental to my win rate. 

90-minutes of exercise 

Exercise is proven to stimulate your memory and thinking abilities. Physical activity allows more blood to flow into the brain and encourages nerve fiber growth, which in turn helps you learn faster. 

Spending as little as 90 minutes per week has been proven to be beneficial for brain development. Splitting this up into three 30-minute sessions is all that you need to support healthy brain activity and has the upside of keeping you in good shape.

If you are still skeptical, just take a look at any professional roster. The Majority of esports professionals are in good shape. Professional players being in good shape is not a coincidence; pros often workout as part of their morning routine. 

Make sure to drink enough water

Water makes up about 75% of your brain. For your brain to function to its fullest potential, it has to be full of water. When your brain is full of water, you can ensure the best concentration and alertness possible.

The fact is that most adults do not get the recommended amount of water in a day. Most medical professionals recommend drinking eight glasses of water per day. This number is different for each person, but it is a good starting place for most adults. 

By staying appropriately hydrated, you can ensure your focus and alertness is the best it can be. Because of the increase in focus and alertness, you can guarantee you are giving yourself the best shot at performing on the day.

Managing your mood is extremely important to improve at gaming

Tilt originated as a poker term when someone let their emotions get in the way of the game. When we start when our emotions are already running high, a match of hearthstone will only prove to make matters worse. 

Before you start playing, you should take some time to get in the zone by either looking at some content related to the game or just watching something funny. Relaxing before you start to play, gets your mind off of the day and allows for you to be fresh and be in a better mindset.

I recommend quitting (or playing a different format) after three consecutive losses. Even if you do not feel yourself getting tilted, stopping before you go on an even bigger loss streak, should help your overall mental game. This strategy proves very helpful for me, and it’s something I think more people should consider.  

We hope you can use these four tips to improve. Do you want to work alongside the team at AceGameGuides? Be sure to read all about how in our Writers Wanted post!

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