If you’re one of the many hardcore gaming fanatics out there then you probably welcome any new reason that supports your addiction, er, hobby. Well, look no further than the results of a recent study in Oxford University.

The study was specifically focused on the classic game Tetris, where players are tasked to stack bricks of various shapes and colors in order to form a solid construction where all the bricks fit in like pieces of a puzzle. After you go through a very stressful event, playing a videogame is not exactly the first solution you think of. However, researchers over at Oxford University have stated that playing Tetris can actually help one get over shock or stress.

The study was led by Dr. Emily Holmes of the Department of Psychology. In the experiment, 40 healthy individuals were asked to participate. All the participants were shown traumatic pictures that showed injuries and other unpleasant images. After half an hour, one group of the participants was instructed to play the game of Tetris for about ten minutes. This group had less flashback episodes during the next week, compared to the group that did not play the game.

According to Dr. Holmes, the method is more effective if the game was played immediately after the traumatic event. This allows the game playing to change how the event will be placed in our memories.

So the next time you feel like the world is weighing down on you, don’t be afraid to reach out for a Tetris game. Wonder if this also works in the videogames.

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