How Tetris Helped Me Calm Down and Focus
For this writer, playing Tetris led to better concentration and as a result, higher grades in school.
When I was younger, adults often said that I was impatient, and admittedly they had a point. My mind was at times all over the place, which made schoolwork difficult because it was tough to pay attention. With so much trouble concentrating, I desperately sought ways to focus. Little did I know that a video game would help in a big way.
With Tetris, I realized that no matter how you clear lines on the Matrix, the Tetriminos keep on falling. There is no clear win or lose. This gave Tetris high replay value and made it the first game that kept me engaged for hours at a time.
As weeks turned into months, my Tetris skills improved. Yet no matter how much time I devoted to the game, I never grew bored, or felt the need to immediately jump to a different game.
This was a huge step forward. All of a sudden I began to walk a bit slower and take my time completing projects. I was able to pay attention in class while also keeping my mind pre-occupied with the game.
The result? My grades improved, even in math, which was and continues to be tricky for me. More importantly, though, my relationships blossomed. I was able to prevent myself from interrupting people. With this newfound patience, friends came to me whenever they needed to vent because they knew I’d listen.
I attribute this change in my life to playing Tetris. Because of Tetris, I’m among the most patient people I know. This is yet another example of how, at least for me, this game made a huge impact on my life. It’s no surprise that I still return to it so many years later.
