96: Jane McGonigal | Gaming Your Way to Health and Happiness

Anxiety & Flexibility

Jane McGonigal shares her personal battle with anxiety and the concept of psychological flexibility. She explains how anticipatory anxiety often led her to cancel trips, fearing the discomfort of long flights more than the flights themselves. This realization prompted her to prioritize her values over comfort, embracing the discomfort to pursue her dreams of adventure and connection 1. Psychological flexibility, she notes, is crucial in overcoming such fears and is a predictor of recovery from injuries 2.

You have to constantly say to yourself, there's something about you more than being comfortable.

--- Jane McGonigal

By valuing experiences over comfort, Jane encourages others to face their fears and grow beyond their limitations.

   

Growth & Trauma

Jane McGonigal introduces the concept of posttraumatic growth, highlighting how trauma can lead to personal development. She emphasizes that growth can coexist with posttraumatic stress, allowing individuals to live life more fully by pursuing deferred dreams and expressing repressed parts of themselves 3. Jane also discusses coping mechanisms, such as playing games to distract from traumatic memories, which can prevent the brain from solidifying distressing memories during sleep 4.

It's great. It's like essentially it's like a near death experience.

--- Jane McGonigal

Through these strategies, she illustrates how trauma can be a catalyst for positive change, encouraging resilience and new perspectives.