Every working day, in the office or at home, we can't be focused on work for 8 hours straight. Our brains need to switch to rest and perform tasks efficiently. Company management spends hours and huge budgets on training and offsite events to create a well-functioning and friendly team. However, it turned out that you can just play computer games.

A study by four professors of information systems at Brigham Young University found that newly formed work teams saw a 20 percent increase in performance on follow-up tasks after playing video games together for just 45 minutes.

How did it happen?

In fact, there is an understandable logic in this study. Playing video games activates certain areas of the brain that control cognitive flexibility. It's also a great way to unwind, allowing employees to relax and improve their focus in the long run. Finally, group games are organic team-building activities that help bring people together.

These approaches to improving productivity in corporate culture are becoming increasingly commonplace. First, we came to remote work and flexible schedules; now, we understand that modern research in the field of gaming can also play into our hands.

As more routine work becomes automated and young employees depend on creativity and innovation in manufacturing, giving employees leeway to use their work and non-work time becomes increasingly important.

Is it time to relax at work?

Whether building a mobile app or providing mobile app development services for other corporations, your employees need to rest to avoid burnout.

When you give your employees time to unwind, you give them time for themselves. Whether it's taking a break or pursuing their interests, this time allows them to return to their caves and relax for a moment. Therefore, do not consider it a waste of time.

That is why many people prefer to play games that refer to pop culture. Getting to know each other helps the players because they often imagine themselves in fictional worlds, thus taking a break from their daily work, albeit for a moment.

Thus, computer games allow one to escape reality a little, turn off the brain, and completely reboot it. Such a pause gives a new surge of ideas and creativity to continue their tasks in the workplace.

Breaking the unflattering stereotype about gamers and games

Forbes writes that when we think of "gamer," a specific image often comes to mind - and it's not always flattering.

Today, however, there is reason to reconsider this point of view. The gaming world has evolved rapidly over the last decade, and what was once considered an unhealthy subculture is quickly becoming fertile ground for team building and leadership training.

When introducing a gaming culture to bring your team together and increase productivity, you must also keep certain balance levels in mind. It is especially true today when most employees have access to their devices 24/7. Thus, companies must instill a sense of responsibility in their employees as part of their corporate culture.

Allowing employees to play games in the office may make you wonder if it will derail the workflow, but when it results in increased productivity and team morale, you will realize that it was a worthwhile move.

Author’s bio: Anastasiia Lastovetska is a technology writer at MLSDev, a software development company that builds web & mobile app solutions from scratch. She researches the area of technology to create great content about app development, UX/UI design, tech & business consulting.