Notice: Our services will be closed for the holiday season from December 23rd 2023 to January 2nd, 2024..jpg)
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Mental Health Resources open during the holidays
Provincial Health Information Line
Distress and Crisis Ontario Locations - Distress and Crisis Ontario (dcontario.org)
- Practicing Gratitude
- Spending time with friends, family or loved ones
- Going for winter walks
- Taking part in hobbies and holiday traditions you enjoy
- Living in present rather then the past
- Setting realistic and achievable goals
Everyone gets overwhelmed at times. Preparing for the holidays can be stressful and sometimes you need to take a step back too remember that your doing the best you can and its okay to be stressed or anxious. There are some techniques to help you get through difficult emotions, such as breathing exercise's, taking a walk or even listening to calming music.
Keep yourself busy!
Roleplaying for Mental Health and Resilience
The Benefits of dungeons and dragons on mental health.
You stand in a ruined throne room, the banners of a once proud city lay in tatters hanging from their metal perches. Your group, your party, nay your friends stand at the ready with sword, bow, and shield. Evil Larry the Usurper cackles, rising from the throne. Blue lighting dances around his finger tips and his soulless eyes are trained on you. The final battle between good and evil is about to begin. What do you do?
What do you do? It's a common phrase we find ourselves using daily. In times of stress we gravitate towards this phrase in an effort to find clarity and organization. Sometimes this can be a lot; where circumstances don’t always allow for a clear and cut answer. This question can filter over to even the most mundane of tasks, like talking to people, or even finding time to relax. How do we find comfort and clarity in the unknown and the things we can’t control? Generally we need a place to focus, to talk about ideas, and a setting that can provide a state of comfort. Therapy covers most of this, but what's missing is a sense of control. This is where dungeons and dragons can be the biggest benefit to your life. What is Dungeons and Dragons? It's everything I've described so far and more. It offers clarity, organization, and comfortable space for thoughts and ideas. Above all, it offers control in a make believe setting.
Dungeons and Dragons is a role playing game first introduced in the 70’s. Players generally create fantasy characters on character sheets. Players then quest for treasure and loot in a fantasy world created by the person leading the game. This person is known as the dungeon master or game master. It is the dungeon masters job to create a world and a setting for these characters to play in as well as a quest for motivation. Based on an already established set of rules, the Dm and players roll dice to determine if what someone wants to do, succeeds or fails. Want your character to jump over a pit of fire? A dice roll is needed for that. Do you want to swing your sword at the big bad? Roll a dice to see if you hit. Once the rules are known the real magic begins. In Dungeons & Dragons you are asked to role play as the character you created with your party members and the Dm. This may seem scary or cringey at first, but it slowly turns into something more akin to a drama class. Players craft a personality for their characters based on who they wish to be in a made up fantasy world. This normally results in players conversing, laughing…or even debating with one another. Sometimes in accents or dramatic personalities.
This all sounds lovely, but what are the finer details on why this game is so good for your mental health? The control aspect of the game is broken down into five pillars. These pillars give players the chance to work on core skills. This filters into real world situations, allowing for people to feel control in the moment, because they dealt with something similar in a Dungeons and Dragons setting. These 5 pillars are as followed:
Escapism:
The real world can be a tough place. Filled with stressors and annoyances it can be hard to find a place to unwind. Luckily Dungeons & Dragons provides this escapism. The Dm provides a world where the players may start off relatively weak, but as they progress they grow stronger. This Something we all wish to attain in reality, but through more practical strength. Moving up in a career, accomplishing a life goal, attaining what you want in life. These are all set out for the player in an easier format. One which people get lost in because of how much better they feel playing in a fantastical world where glory is at the edge of a sword, or in the wits of the clever. People try to find this escapism in video games, drugs, and relationships. However, those aren’t always the best avenues as they could affect the world around them in negative ways. When players escape into D&D, it is a brief respite before returning to reality and life. One that many people cherish.
Role play:
Role playing is a major pillar of D&D, it is how you present your character, how they act, or how they socialize in the world around them. Sometimes people enjoy playing as themselves under a different name, while others would rather take on an entirely new persona or a blend of both. A persona player's wish could be exhibited in the real world, but shy away due to confidence issues, or personality challenges. in D&D players get the chance to work on those challenges by playing through scenarios that mirror the real world. Did you want to buy that shiny shield? Gotta talk to the shopkeeper. Need information from the wizard, you may have to use your words. These scenarios play out consistently and can result in less social anxiety or better ways for people to problem solve in a similar real life situation.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9092936/
Social activity:
Players not only have to interact with non player characters, but they have to interact with their party members as well. Normally the size of the group at the table is between three to eight people. Everyone is asked what they would like to do in the setting that the Dm has described, and this may involve talking to the other players. On top of that, it is also considered a team game. Most of the time players will have to work with their party to solve riddles, puzzles, or a tough situation. Situations like those mentioned will build trust and open pathways for communication. Being able to communicate effectively is a key component of dungeons and dragons.By being put in those situations constantly, one can become better accustomed to being around people in game and outside of it.
Mental Workout:
When we go through a period of turmoil or stress we call on our critical thinking skills to help navigate the situation. However not everyone is equipped with the skills necessary to properly deal with whatever is going on around them. Dungeons & Dragons allows for people to work on their critical thinking skills. When the game gets started you’ll quickly find that there is a modicum of math involved as well moments of tough decisions. Maybe you find yourself stuck between saving a fellow party member hanging from a cliff, while another is about to meet their doom at the hands of evil Larry the usurper. The game provides moments that aren't always black and white. Moments of consequences that make the player sit back and wonder if what they did was the right call. In the real world we don't always get a chance to sit back and ponder about what we should have done. We can, however, practice our critical thinking in a safe setting. Dungeons and Dragons provides this setting as well and allows us to stress our brains through math, puzzles, & consequences so we may take what we learn and apply it to real world situations. https://www.progresslifeline.org.uk/news/the-benefit-of-puzzles-for-the-brain#:~:text=Working%20on%20a%20puzzle%20reinforces,to%20improve%20short%2Dterm%20memory.&text=Puzzles%20increase%20the%20production%20of,as%20we%20solve%20the%20puzzle.
Feelings of Accomplishment:
So what happens after you come to the solution to the question “what do you do?” Well, it’s followed by a sense of accomplishment. In the real world we’re all searching for a win, whether it’s a career advancement, more money, or just to feel better. That win can instill confidence or release endorphins that make us feel great. In D&D when the battle is over or the puzzle is solved, players are generally awarded with magical items, experience to level up a character, or something as extravagant as one's own castle. All of this provides a sense of relief and closure allowing for the player, for a moment in a non-existent world, to really feel like they’ve won. No one can take that accomplishment away from them because it was hard earned. Though the feeling is fleeting, the memories live on, and there is always a new accomplishment to be had. For people that find it hard to grasp what they want, a game like this can instill so much confidence and happiness that it has withstood the test of time for over half a century.
https://drpress.org/ojs/index.php/HSET/article/view/948/877
When you combine these 5 pillars, you get a sense of control that can be carried over to a real setting. If you feel like you can relate with some of the things discussed, then seek out your local hobby shop, mental health clinic, or forums online to find a Dm/Gm that will welcome you at their table. If you're looking to work on core skills in a safe environment then dungeons and dragons may just be what you need in your life. A good story, a good character, and good friends that will have your back, even if Larry the evil wizard tries to take over the world. Just remember, Glory is always at your fingertips, even when faced with the question …”What do you do?”.
