The Tim Ferriss Show #93: Jane McGonigal on Getting More Done with Less Stress and The Health Benefits of Gaming
Concussion and Recovery
- Jane McGonigal hit her head and suffered a severe concussion, impacting her memory and cognitive function.
- To recover, she created a game called "Jane the Concussion Slayer," treating symptoms like demons to fight.
The Gameful Mindset
- Adopt a "gameful mindset" to approach obstacles with creativity and resilience, like in games.
- Play any games you enjoy and apply that mindset to real-world challenges.
Secret Identity and Quests
- Create a secret identity focused on your strengths, like a game avatar.
- Ask allies for daily quests or missions to boost dopamine and motivation.
Jane McGonigal (@avantgame), PhD, is a senior researcher at the Institute for the Future and the author of The New York Times bestseller Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. Her work has been featured in The Economist, Wired, and The New York Times. She has been called one of the "top ten innovators to watch" by BusinessWeek and one of the "100 most creative people in business” by Fast Company. Her TED talks on games have been viewed more than ten million times. In this conversation, we dig into everything from recovering from head trauma to how you can use Candy Crush Saga to lose weight. Not enough? How about using Tetris to prevent PTSD, or using Call of Duty to increase empathy? Her latest book is SuperBetter, which offers a revolutionary (science-based) approach for getting stronger, happier, and more resilient. I’ve been testing it, and it works. Not only am I feeling better, but I’m having more fun. As adults, we often lose track of play. My hope is that this episode will help you to reclaim it. It’s not frivolous; it can help you get a lot more done with less stress. In this episode we discuss: Examples of real world problems that are solved with games or by gamers How Jane climbed herself out of the hole of suicidal thoughts Action steps for using gaming lessons and applying them to real life How to build a quest into your life The health effects of Candy Crush Saga On the use of psychedelics to simulate traumatic experiences And much more... Links, resources, and show notes from this episode can be found at http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast This episode is sponsored by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic Greens. It is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. Get 50% off your order at Athletic Greens.com/Tim This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results. Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run... Enjoy!
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