An office or desk chair usually makes a good gaming chair. They’re also adjustable so you can accommodate your height. If you spend a lot of time gaming, consider investing in an ergonomic gaming chair. [3] X Research source
To maintain this posture, you typically need to be sitting on the front quarter of your chair—not necessarily on the edge of your seat, but forward. It’s easy to start pulling forward as you play, but try to avoid hunching over, which can lead to back pain as well as headaches. If you prefer to sit all the way back in your chair and use the back of the chair for support, watch that you’re not leaning into it. Hold yourself upright rather than depending on the back of your chair to do it for you.
A tilted neck is one of the main causes of tension headaches. If your head is tilted either forward or back, it strains the muscles in your neck. This muscle strain can lead to a tension headache, especially if you sit that way for an hour or longer. [6] X Research source
If the chair you normally sit in while gaming is too high and you can’t adjust it, put a step stool or ottoman under your feet so you can maintain proper alignment.
For example, if you play Teamfight Tactics, you could get in the habit of checking and correcting your posture every time you see the results screen. With role-playing games, you might check your posture at save points or while your character is sleeping.
If you’re playing at a TV that you can’t move, this might cause difficulty. In that situation, focus on the angle instead. You may have to move back from the screen so that you can play without tilting your head. Regardless, keeping your neck straight is the most important part of the equation if you want to try to prevent headaches.
If you’re playing video games on a larger screen, such as a TV, your ideal distance away from the screen will also depend on other factors, such as the height of the screen and the size of the room. [11] X Research source
If you’re leery about adjusting the brightness, try it for a few minutes as an experiment, then change it back. If you find yourself squinting or recoiling when you turn it back to its original brightness level, that level was straining your eyes. You can also tinker with the contrast to see if that helps. [13] X Research source
While you probably don’t want a fully lit room, you also don’t want the room to be completely dark so that the screen is the only light. That’ll put a lot of strain on your eyes. If you do a lot of intense gaming, you might want to look into getting a pair of glasses that filter the blue light from the screen.
If you have a window in the room where you’re gaming, look out the window every so often. You might also try looking from one side to the other without moving your head, which helps stretch your eyes.
You might even put a sign near your screen that says “Blink!” Every time you see it, you’ll remember to blink. Using eye drops (artificial tears) also helps if you have problems blinking enough.
If you’re likely to forget, set a timer on your phone to remind you. Another thing you can do is get a smaller glass of water and set it beside you. When the glass is empty, you’ll have to get up to refill it, so you’ll automatically be getting up and moving around.
According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, adequate daily fluid intake is 15. 5 cups (3. 7 liters) of fluid for men, 11. 5 cups (2. 7 liters) for women. That includes water, but also other beverages and the water that you get from your food.
With caffeine, you also have to worry about the rebound effect after you come down from the rush. That also puts you at a higher risk of getting a headache.
For example, you might play a first-person shooter for 20 or 30 minutes, then switch to a more relaxing sim game where you can build something for another 20 or 30 minutes.
