We’ve entered the chilly month of December, which means finals (for both school and tournaments) are on the horizon, along with the much-anticipated winter break. As you prepare to leave campus, we’re here to remind you to practice wellness and get some good rest so you can be the best esports athlete you can be when you return!
Mental and Physical Wellbeing Over Break
Winter break is supposed to be just that — a break! It’s important to take this time to reset and prepare for the next leg of your college journey.
Towards the end of the semester, you might be feeling burnout. Psychology Today defines burnout as “a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress.”
We know that balancing both school and being a collegiate esports athlete can be very stressful, and by the end of the season, you can experience this tired, lethargic feeling. This is why taking a break to practice mindfulness and wellness is so important to maintaining a good relationship with your sport and your education. How can we do this? The UK National Health Service recommends these things:
- Connect with other people – Talk to friends, family, and loved ones. Whether it’s sharing your stress or just chatting about the latest patch notes, this is a great way to engage your brain with a positive outlet that benefits your mental health.
- Be Physically Active – Wellness isn’t just about mental health, but physical health too! As gamers, we must make sure to prioritize our physical wellbeing as well, because our sport requires us to engage in a sedentary lifestyle. Go on a walk, hit the gym, or play with your pet! Even the littlest things can help your body feel rested and rejuvenated.
- Learn Something New – When you’re feeling burnt out, sometimes even your favorite game or hobby can feel overwhelming. Trying something new gives your brain a rest from the repetitive cycle, and can help you to feel positive when you complete a new task. You don’t need to become a master, but even just learning a new recipe or a few new words can improve your outlook.
- Give to Others – The UK NHS says that exhibiting acts of kindness can help raise self-esteem and improve mental health. Consider volunteering or giving to charity this winter break, or even making an impact on your own esports club by mentoring or coaching a teammate.
- Practice Mindfulness – What is mindfulness? The Cambridge Dictionary says it’s “the practice of being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the present moment.” Take joy in the little parts of life, and feel grounded in your day to day. Studies show that this can increase positive mental health, and can help you to understand yourself better.
Step Away from the Screen
Between gaming, scrimming, VOD reviewing, and the never-ending doom scroll, we end up on our screens a lot. It’s important to remember to occasionally step away from your device.
If your phone offers screen time monitoring, it can be a great way to help yourself stay accountable in reducing your screen time. You don’t need to totally unplug, but cutting back on how often and when you are engaging in screen time can help to improve mental health and help you feel more refreshed over your break.
Too much time on screens, the American Heart Association says, can lead to health problems and trouble sleeping. These things are stressors that might be inhibiting you from feeling well rested, even when you take a few weeks off. Shutting down your electronics before you try to sleep gives your mind time to calm down, which can lead you to having a better sleep, and will allow you to wake up refreshed in the morning.
The AHA also says that finding a new hobby can help to fill the gap when you’re bored and looking for something to do. Instead of scrolling on social media, you can try hanging out with friends, reading a book, or exploring nature.
Stepping away from the screen can also help with Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as seasonal depression.
Seasonal depression occurs primarily in winter when the days get short, it gets cold outside, and it always seems to be dark. In these conditions, you might not want to go outside, and may turn to playing video games or sitting on your phone as a warmer and brighter alternative. SAD can cause you to feel tired constantly, lose interest in your favorite things, or feel anxious and stressed.
Because esports primarily takes place inside where the Wi-Fi is good, we are prone to falling into these habits that are caused by SAD, which can make your break feel like less of a relaxing time, and more like a depressive slump. Johns Hopkins University recommends going out in the sun when you can, eating well and exercising, or finding a therapist or loved one to talk to about feeling depressed. These small things can help to brighten your day and reduce symptoms of SAD, so that you can get back to enjoying your time off from school.
Preparing for the Spring Semester
Stepping away from the screens is cool and all, you might say, but I’m an esports athlete! I have tryouts and tournaments soon! I need to practice!
This is also a valid way to devote your time during break. Preparing well for the next semester can help it to fly by and cause less stress overall. Additionally, practicing well means you will perform well, and your team will benefit from having a devoted teammate by their side.
What can you do to prepare for the spring semester well?
- Stay in touch with your teammates – Teamwork is critical for performing well in esports. Even if you and your team aren’t seeing each other every day, establishing consistent and positive communication helps you to feel like a united front that is ready for the next season.
- Attend scrims and VOD Reviews – It’s easy to feel like winter break is a time off from work, but making sure you take practice seriously will help you to feel adequately ready for tryouts and games when you return to school. If your coach or manager wants to scrim over break, remember to be a team player and be as present as you can for your team. A little extra work goes a long way!
- Know your schedule – Keep in touch with the leagues you currently play in to know when your next competition date is. Some leagues will be starting over winter break, like CRL, so you don’t want to feel blindsided by an approaching match. Know when your matches are, when you will play for the semester, and make a plan for how you’ll balance school in between.
What if I Don’t Have My PC Over Break?
For those students who travel over winter break, or may have to leave their computer or console at school, it’s easy to feel like there’s nothing you can do over break to stay in peak form for the next season. While yes, having a computer is important, there’s creative ways to practice your game while you’re taking a well deserved break.
Try reaction time tests on your phone, laptop, or TV. This can help to keep your mind sharp even when out of game. You can also rewatch vod reviews to focus on positioning, comms, and utility usage. Another great way to practice your teamwork soft skills is to maintain communication with your team. A team that communicates well is a team that performs well. Keep in touch with your coach, manager, and teammates to ensure that your connection is both strong on the map and off.
What’s coming up for esports in Spring 2025?
While you prepare to return to campus and compete in the new year, there’s lots to keep track of! Keeping tabs on all the leagues and seasons coming up can be overwhelming, so we’re here to help you prepare and succeed!
- NECC has announced exciting new partnerships with CFGC and Apex Legends that will start in Spring 2025 for members to compete in.
- ECAC registration is OPEN, introducing Splatoon 3 and College Football to their competitive lineup.
- NACE playoffs are underway, with spring registration opening soon on leaguespot. Don’t miss out on signing up your team!
- Playfly’s registration roadmap is live! Learn more about what’s coming next in the spring and when you can register!
- Spring 2025 CRL signups are open, and are starting soon. Don’t miss out!
- College CoD has released their 2025 season trailer, with more info to come out soon.
