Any serious gamer will have heard people claim that gaming is a waste of time and a pointless hobby. But little do they know that mastering your abilities can have huge advantages. Countless gamers have turned their passion into enormously lucrative careers, winning cash prizes from tournaments, reviewing the latest releases, or live-streaming their sessions on Twitch or YouTube.

As well as the professional benefits, gaming has also been shown to improve decision-making, reflexes, memory, and cognitive abilities. There are so many reasons to delve into the world of games, yet it’s one of the most misunderstood and unfairly criticized pastimes. 

But becoming a gaming pro takes time, and if you want to reap the rewards from your hard work you’ll need to put in the practice. But when you have a full-time job and other personal commitments, it can be hard to find enough free time. Your work responsibilities and relationships take up the bulk of your schedule, and if you’re not careful, your gaming talents will fall to the wayside.

But no matter how busy you are, it is always possible to find enough time for video games. As long as you are smart with your time and organize your commitments carefully, you will be able to push your abilities to the max while still enjoying a well-rounded lifestyle. Here are four ways to help you find more time for gaming.

Organize Your Time

The best way to add extra hours to your day is to organize your time. For every day and week, plan out a rough schedule of what you need to accomplish and when. Make sure you dedicate plenty of time for gaming. This schedule will help you stay focused throughout your day and allow you to get things done more efficiently.

Maximize Each Gaming Session

Whenever you do find time to sit down and play a video game, you want to make the best possible use of your time. This means getting into the right mindset to play well, so take care of your body and mind. Eat well, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep each night so you feel refreshed and ready to go.

Eliminate Timewasters

There are so many things in your life that take up valuable time. Some of these are worthwhile, like work and exercise, while others are less meaningful. How much time do you spend aimlessly browsing the internet or scrolling through social media when you could be doing something far more productive? Make an effort to eliminate these timewasters from your life and you’ll find your schedule is much more accommodating to your gaming sessions.

Make the Most of Downtime

Whenever you have gaps in the day, such as the time before work, your lunch break, or while waiting for dinner to cook, use this downtime to squeeze in a quick gaming session. Even when you’re on the move, perhaps on the bus or waiting at the doctor’s office, there are gaming tablets and other portable devices that will let you play games with ease.