Monday, April 14, 2008

Let Bingo Relieve Your Stress

by: Morgan Collins

Stress can be an over-used word in today’s society and doctors often wonder if people are actually more stressed in our modern world, or whether they are simply more aware of their feelings, using stress as an excuse to avoid a situation or to excuse a particular failing.

Humans are all born with an internal stress response for whenever a potentially stressful situation arises. Stress hormones are released into our bloodstream and we become anxious or fearful, leading to symptoms such as sweaty palms, increase in heartbeat and tension.

These hormones that cause instant mental and physical change in us, often give us added strength and endurance which can make us feel highly strung or pumped-up. Stress hormones enable us to either run away from situation or to stay and fight. This is often called the “fight or flight syndrome”.

Today’s society and the social strains therein, often mean that we are activating our stress hormones at will and not just for random emergencies,. This is leading to more cases of stress and particular in the workplace, with half a million people in the UK believing work related stress is making them ill.

Playing games can often release these stress hormones. Action games which are reactionary and require fast response are often the culprits, but games such as bingo can also cause short term, peak stress levels, as players who do not win a game often become frustrated and annoyed.

Bingo games do however, allow people to switch off from their daily routines, including work, and this can help reduce work related stress levels, as players seek the virtual reality world of the internet and its games and the escapism that they offer.

Scientists believe that shutting ourselves off for just an hour a day can help decrease stress related illnesses as the mind and body can remove focus from a subject which cause stress and allow people to think about more fun things in life. This in turn reduces stress hormones and increases other hormones that make us feel happier.

A US study has found that women cope with stress better than men because of their female hormones. One US professor believes that throughout history women often didn't have the option to choose “fight or flight”. Instead, women developed a more suitable strategy, which is often called 'tend and befriend'. The key to this behavior was, and is, a female hormone called oxytocin. It is believed this is the difference that accounts for women seeking out other women to talk to when the going gets tough. Perhaps it is why women love to play bingo more than men (some 65% compared to 35%). The online chat rooms allow them to diffuse any feelings of stress by using chat to express their emotions with fellow players, releasing any pent up frustration.

Whether or not you go along with this, far more women than men discuss their stresses with a friend. However, there are an awful lot of women who are incapacitated by severe stress and who are suffering exactly the same sort of stress-related symptoms that we see in men.

Bingo is fun, entertaining and allows you to communicate your feelings with others, helping to reduce stress levels and improve your mindset. So if you come home from work feeling stressed or wanting to remove yourself from any feelings of anxiety, why not try a game of online bingo with a site that offers fun chat rooms games to help reduce your stress.

But don’t forget, Bingo is a game of chance, the results of which are out of the control of human beings. So if you do not win that giant jackpot, don’t stress, a quick chat with your fellow players online may help reduce your frustration and stress levels.


About The Author
Written by Morgan Collins for http://www.chitchatbingo.co.uk. Bingo online for UK players. Links must be retained in reproduction of this article.

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