As the Mental Health Awareness Foundation puts it:
"Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing. We thrive when we have strong connections with other people and supportive communities that remind us, we are not alone. Communities can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and give us a sense of purpose."
Here at Hand Limit we believe in the positive effects that board games have on mental health and combating social isolation, and this is largely thanks to the sense of community that they promote.
Writing for The Center for Mindfulness & CBT, Tyler Witzig helpfully outlines the ways in which board games can help improve our connection to others. Witzig states that board games provide us with shared experience that allows people to bond over a common interest. This creates a sense of community and belonging.
"The excitement of the game and the thrill of victory or defeat can help people form deep and lasting connections."
Furthermore, board games improve communication and collaboration with others. Through engaging with the game, particularly cooperative games, players are put in a position where communication is essential. This type of communication, structured around a game, can help break down barriers and create a safe space for players to express themselves. Playing games with others also help foster feelings of trust and empathy, which helps players develop more meaningful connections with each other. Through play, we get to know people in ways that go beyond surface level interaction. It is rare on first meeting someone that you get to witness their inner morality at work. How do they behave towards others when winning or losing? How do they support new players? Do they compete in good faith? These questions can all be answered when playing a game with someone whereas usual initial social interaction barely begins to scratch the surface. As a result it is easier to get to know people, and to get to know people who you might not usually have had the same level of interaction with, while playing games.
"Board games are an inclusive activity," Witzig writes. "This inclusivity allows people to connect with others they might not otherwise have the opportunity to meet." Playing games, either competitively or cooperatively, provides the perfect backdrop to get to know new people. This inclusivity is highlighted by Sam Allen, writing for the Mental Health Awareness Foundation, as a key component of fostering positive community. This inclusivity of the table top hobby ensures that everyone around a table feels included in the group. Each player gets their own turn to make their own choices that have an overall impact on the game and the experience of others. This engagement with the group as a whole produces the feeling of a shared space and community. Without inclusivity it is impossible to create a sense of community in diverse groups.
Allen goes on to say that another corner stone of community building is friendship and fun. It is important that group members look forward to seeing and spending time with each other, which encourages continued attendance. Through this individuals can grow stronger bonds and trust with other group members. Unless we hadn't made it completely clear, we think that table top games are incredibly fun and definitely keep members of our collective coming back for more.
As community was the focus of this year's Mental Health Awareness Week, we ought to give our attention to the role of table top gaming to aid this vital aspect of mental health. If you are looking for a community, or perhaps want to create stronger bonds within a group you are already a part of, board games are a great place to start.
This is so true. As someone who usually struggles to participate in group activities, I find the alloted inclusivity of boardgames and RPGs has been really useful in building my confidence in group participation.
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