Diversion Tactics: Distracting from the Itch

Today, I came across a post on my social media that posed the question, “True or false, is gaming a good form of distraction for eczema sufferers?” I found the responses very interesting. Most said it was. The reasons they gave were, that because the game was interactive, their hands are kept busy using the controllers. Also, their minds are fully drawn into the virtual world, therefore they forget about the itch! I can totally believe this to work.

How have I seen distraction work before?

There is a lot to be said about the art of distraction. Fooling the brain! And we can fool the brain. I have seen this first-hand with my nieces and nephews. I remember one incident when one of my little nephews fell and cut his knee. He looked down and saw the blood and was about to cry. I saw this and shouted, "Oliver, look over there! I just saw a rabbit with a hat on!" Or something like this, I can't actually recall what I said but it worked. He was instantly distracted and forgot about his knee. The poor feller was grumpy because he had hurt himself but it's like he forgot to cry about it. So, having a few diversionary tactics in your armor has got to be a good thing, right?

Is gaming a helpful distraction from eczema?

We are all unique souls and have to find the right techniques and tricks to help get us through the itch! Gaming is an interesting one for me. Whether it works as an effective distraction is completely dependent on the type of game I play. Back in my 30s, I was addicted to the video game, Alone In The Dark. I remember finding it quite distressing and that used to actually bring on a flare. It was quite jumpy and there were long periods of the gameplay that were done in an eerie silence. Terrifying! On the other hand, if I was playing a strategic game like snooker or Golf, I would find this very helpful in relaxing me. The slower pace and non-threatening gameplay were enough of a distraction.

What is my main objective though?

The main objective is to find what works for us. Prevention is power! Whenever anyone asks me how to deal with their eczema, my advice all centers around prevention. If I am in a flare, literally nothing works. My whole way of life is set up so that I have the fewest flares. That is how I essentially measure my success. There are times when I may eat the wrong foods or drink the wrong drinks, but I just suck it up! I expect the eczema flare to come at me with all its force. My point is that you do not have to be perfect with your prevention or diversionary tactics. As long as I live my life 90% of the time by this rule, I can allow 10% of naughtiness. You have to live a little, don't you?!

Does anyone have any effective diversionary tactics that they could share?