I’m a Mom with a lot of kids and all the normal stress that that implies. Parenting is hard, thankless work and as parents, we take a lot of crap. It is hard on our bodies and mental health.

In today’s world it seems that everyone has to have a purpose, a goal. We aren’t allowed to waste time. It is unacceptable to spend time doing something as meaningless as playing Candy Crush. 

 

Except I firmly believe my Candy Crush time has value. Sometimes, we just need to stop and treat ourselves to downtime and some mindless activity. It might just seem like a stupid game, but some days, Candy Crush is what keeps me from losing my shit.

Check out my 5 reasons why Candy Crush is great for my mental health:

1. I can’t control a lot about my day. I try, but even my best plan usually goes sideways within an hour of the 3rd time I hit snooze. My kids, Nancy in the school drop off line who can’t figure out how the drop off line works, my kids, the trainee checker at the grocery store, my kids – these are the people effing up my best laid plans. Not so Candy Crush. I either beat the level or I don’t. One after the other. No deviation. I like it. And seriously, Nancy, your kid is in the 4th grade. You’re not new here. Figure this shit out.

2. It’s basically me against the computer. The human component is removed. I don’t have to be forgiving of anyone else’s feelings. I don’t have to take into account that my three year old can’t tie his shoes, yet, but wants to do it himself so, no, we won’t be getting to preschool until next week, thank you very much. I’ll just be rage waiting over here by myself. If the candies don’t fall the way I want I can say, “F*&% you, Candy Crush!” and just try again. No one’s feelings are hurt and I don’t have to pay for therapy for my iPhone.

3. I get a sense of accomplishment. FINALLY. I don’t know about you, but my To Do list is 8 million miles long and I get about a 2 things done a day. Not for lack of trying. (See #1) At the end of a long day of working my ass off and getting exactly zilch done, I can fall into bed and beat at least one round of the Crush. Boom! Something to check off the list!

4. I’ma blow the things up. I need this. Everywhere I go in my real life things around me get destroyed. I don’t get to have any say about what it is, but I always have to clean it up. In the world of Candy Crush I am encouraged to be the Destroyer. They want me to make the mess and cause the explosions. Added bonus: I don’t have to fix it. Everything. Just. Disappears.

5. Candy Crush saves me, literally, thousands of dollars on expensive therapists. For the most part it is free. Sometimes I run out of lives and then, I’ll plunk down $2.99 for a refill. Hey, don’t judge me, Karen. I don’t get Starbucks every day at six bucks a pop for a caramel half frap half lean no fat mocha steamed iced take it out of my kid’s college savings. Everybody has something. This is my something. If I can play Candy Crush for an hour and get out all of my aggression for $2.99, I can buy your coffee for $6 and still come out ahead on the $150 per hour therapist bill. Not only am I taking care of my mental health, I am being fiscally responsible. It’s a two-fer, in my book.

So side eye me if you will, Judy McJudgerson, but I’m going to keep playing.

Yes, it is probably a monumental waste of time and of course I believe in a good therapist for truly important mental health needs, but for my day to day stressors Candy Crush will do in a pinch.