There is no shortage of helpful advice for gamers to improve their health or habits while playing. However, some tips are difficult to follow when playing League of Legends specifically, due to the intensity of the game and the shortage of downtime while playing. This is especially true for those that prefer to queue back-to-back games. But, there are still options available: especially those made just with League of Legends in mind.
These tips were created for League of Legends players and can be implemented into the game seamlessly.
[See also: Tips to Let Tilt Go During a Bad Game]
1. Create Posture Cues
Every player has been there: realizing they are craning their neck at an unnatural angle after a close teamfight, or finishing a match only to become conscious that their back hurts more than ever. While some postures can lead to “muscle tightness and weakness,” it is difficult for many players to remember to change how they are sitting. As a posture suggestion, physical therapist Nancy Durban recommends changing sitting positions regularly, and knowing which ways of sitting are most comfortable for each individual person. However, even with the best intentions, finding a comfortable posture during loading screen often leads to uncomfortably slumping or slouching soon into the match anyway.
To remedy this, players can try creating a cue for themselves. “Time to recall, time to realign” might sound cheesy, but it is also memorable. And once the recalling and sitting up become associated together, players need only to remember to recall. The rest is automatic.
If they are particularly worried about remembering, it may help to say the reminders out loud the first few times. Or, repeating the cue multiple times mentally could also help things stick. Use whatever phrase feels best or most interesting. Overall, the idea is simply to create an association, so that the reminder to sit comfortably feels like second nature. One of League of Legends’ strengths is pulling players in for intense games, so unless the memory cue has something directly to do with the game, it can easily fall by the wayside. Instead, players can work with the game, and make their new habit feel more natural.
(And remember, movement is important too. But that’s for outside of the game.)
2. Use Queue Times Wisely
One of the best ways players can use their downtime during queue is to give their eyes a short break.
Ideally, experts recommend using the 20-20-20 rule to prevent eye strain. This means players would need to look up for 20 seconds at something 20 feet away, every 20 minutes. However, a good game of League of Legends usually lasts longer than this (sometimes significantly). Rather than try to look away during game (or more likely, give up on preventing eye strain altogether) players can use a more convenient time instead.
One easy way to implement this habit is by looking up for 20 seconds right after entering the queue. Firstly, this creates an easy association in players’ brains: hit the “confirm” button to enter the queue, look up immediately. No need to keep track of how much time has passed or worry about a match running too long. While it won’t be perfect at preventing eye strain, it is certainly better than nothing, and it is simple to remember and implement.
Additionally, queues are usually a minute long at minimum, leaving plenty of time to look away. But even if the queue “accept” button pops up during this time, players can still use their peripheral vision to notice it, or use audio queues if possible. This way, there are no worries about missing out on anything, but they can still improve the health of their eyes. This also comes with the added bonus of not having bloodshot and itchy eyes after a long string of matches like using Primerx.
3. Lighting is Key
Many people are familiar with the fact that blue light from computers interrupts sleep and can cause eye strain. However, likely due to this impact on sleep cycle, blue light is also linked to anxious and depressive symptoms, which is the last thing that players need while playing League of Legends.
One way to address lighting concerns is through the Windows 10 “Night Mode” setting. Toggling this will shift the screen’s light to become warmer. This may not work for some players, who would be bothered by the light changes. But for others, it can help limit stress and improve mental health.
Additionally, night mode could provide more than just mental or physical benefits. Warm lighting may improve player performance within game worlds, according to one study. So, anyone looking for an extra win should think about trying night mode simply for the potential tactical improvements.
This strategy is also incredibly easy to implement in League of Legends, because the change is quick and simple. Players can simply toggle their settings and continue as normal.
Featured Image from Riot Games
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