Have you ever heard the quote “fake it till you make it”? Well, we will see if that’s true with these tips for becoming a pro at gaming. If you are here it’s because that’s something you want to try , we will help you make it.

First, you must be surrounded or get involved with the gaming community. There are several blogs and forums to inform yourself about the subject. This list of the best blogs about gaming will give you an idea of all the new stuff and games around the world.

1. Make your own gaming computer

For this, you better have some cash saved because you are going to need it. PC gaming computers may be a little bit expensive depending, of course, on everything you want to get and more importantly, you can afford. There are several blogs that will help you define which computer suits you best.

These will show you what you need and what you don’t need. Or if you are into all of the  DIY stuff, try out Pcgamer.com to help you with a build guide.

2. Choose the right desktop

Another thing to consider is the desktop you’re going to be using. One may think is not as important, but trust me, it actually is. You can find the importance of having the best gaming desk from the moment you start playing (it doesn’t mean you will become the best gamer automatically but yeah, it will improve your skills and development while gaming).

Having a high-quality desk will assist in better posturing and prevent all those awful back pain. So what if you’re seated hours in front of your screen, at least you’re doing it the right way.

3. PC gaming

When you are playing on a PC instead of a console, there’s no guarantee that the game will run, most of them do it well. Here is one of the most common problems while PC gaming and how to fix it:

Artifacts or glitches, can be easily identified by a graphical weirdness. The image will look pixelated or colored, if you have these problem chances are that the video card is cluttering the information that has been receiving from the game, check if you have an outdated driver, and nevertheless check if other gamers have had the same problems you did and the possible solutions to it.

4. About lag while gaming

Another one and this one is particularly annoying because it can be really subtle, YES, we are talking about the online lag, for example, you are fighting and you start pushing the buttons and nothing happens, right after a moment everything starts to happen but your opponent is no longer there, this is call online lag. The main reason for this one is the internet connection. How fast is your broadband? If you know you will have a low connection while you are on the WIFI, try connecting on Ethernet.

5. Screen Tearing

The last one on the list is when you faced with screen tearing – you can detect if you are having this problem because the screen will look like the bottom part of it has split leaving you with the bottom and top half. The principal reason for  this situation is that you had played too much. Most of the computers refresh their images 60 Hz per second, if you don’t want to encounter this kind of problem, think of buying a PC gaming monitor that are usually around 120hz per second (these are the number of frames per second).

Be careful while buying gaming stuff online. There are many sellers that don’t offer quality products (like video games, used consoles, controllers, PC’s, bad deliveries, etc.) You need to check the seller’s reputation, maybe reading some reviews from his old clients or checking his profile. There are many websites and tools that can help you to avoid this issues like ShipDig that will track your order’s postal service, location, addresses, hours, phone numbers, etc.

And finally, if you are a gamer or you just want to have fun, enjoy it! There are many reasons why gaming raises your happiness levels and reduce the stress. Hope you found it useful and now just star gaming like a pro.

Featured photo credit: echgenmag via techgenmag.com

Whether at work or at school, people these days are under tremendous pressure to perform, perform and perform! Stress and pressure can have adverse affects on the well-being of a person, and need to be controlled.

Now, this doesn’t mean you make a dash to your nearest therapist. There are a number of wonderful and smart apps that you can use on your phone. These brain training apps have been scientifically designed to target specific areas of the human mind and control harmful emotions such as anxiety, as well as to improve memory and sharpness of the brain.

Here are 11 iPhone apps that you will not only enjoy but also find useful in keeping your mental health balanced at all times.

1. Lumosity

This app consists of games that focus on improving the user’s memory, problem-solving capability, attention span, and thinking. There are three games in each session, and they challenge the brain by changing every time. The user has to complete the games while playing against a clock.

Free of trial. $15 per month for the full version.

2. Fit Brains Trainer

This brain training app has 10 sets of games that work on different areas of the brain and improve memory as well as concentration. A user is required to finish a particular task from each category on a daily basis and the app tracks the progress by a color coded graph.

Free.

3. CogniFit Brain Fitness

Developed with the help of neuroscientists, this fun app improves a person’s cognitive abilities, which includes memory and concentration. The progress made by the user over a period of time can be tracked. Users can also play challenge rounds with their friends. The app also modifies the difficulty level to suit the profile of the user and provide recommendations based on the results. Spending 20–30 minutes a few times every week can give measurable improvement in the performance of a user.

First four games free, then $13 a month.

4. Brain Fitness Pro

The makers of this app claim that it can improve the IQ of a user, and improve intelligence and memory. The app is fun and is user friendly, and 30 minutes a day can fetch you results in less than three weeks.

Buy for $3.99.

5. Happify

If nothing else makes you happy in life, this app will. Well, this is what the developers claim at least. This app comes loaded with lots of quizzes, polls and gratitude journals, which work on the fundamentals of positive psychology. The app also helps to control stress and emotions to make you feel better.

Free to use.

6. Clockwork Brain

You will like the little gold robot that comes in every time to explain the next game you are going to play. While the games are not much different to those offered in apps such as Luminosity, the look and feel reminds me of a workshop from old times.

Free.

7. ReliefLink

Initially created as an app for suicide prevention, it has found its use as a great app for tracking the mood of the user by taking measure of all things relevant to the user’s mental health. In case the user experiences high emotional stress, the app has a coping mechanism that includes voice-recorded mindfulness, exercises and music for relaxation. There is also a map that informs the user of the nearest therapist and medical facilities for mental health treatment.

8. Eidetic

Eidetic is a memory enhancement app and uses a ‘spaced repetition’ technique to help users memorize information such as important phone numbers, words, credit card details or passwords. It also notifies you when it’s time to take a test to see what you remember, so that you retain information in your long-term memory.

9. Braingle

Braingle helps to maintain the sharpness of the brain and improve the reasoning ability of a person through riddles and optical illusions. It is different from other brain training apps that employ memory and reaction based tests. You can also compete with your friends and family members in figuring out the fun riddles.

Free.

10. Not The Hole Story

If you have a penchant for solving hard riddles, then this app is a must-have for you. Filled with exclusive riddles along with a simple-to-use interface, the app gives you riddles that you have to solve through a book. You will be given hints along the way, and when you give up, the answers will be revealed. This app will encourage you to broaden your thinking and put your mind to a challenging test.

Free.

11. Personal Zen

This fun brain training app follows the journey of two animated characters who travel through a field of grass. Personal Zen is a nice app meant for reducing anxiety and trains the brain to focus on the positive aspects. The developer’s advice is to use the app for 10 minutes a day to see the best results.

Free.

Featured photo credit: NeONBRAND via unsplash.com