Study shows playing ‘Tetris’ can help reduce craving for drugs, food and sex

The game of Tetris

Tetris, a tile-matching puzzle has been shown to reduce cravings for drugs, food, sex and sleeping by approximately one fifth when played for  as little as three minutes at a stretch.
During the study, participants were prompted to play the game  at random intervals during the day and were monitored for levels of craving, NDTV reports. The researchers found that playing Tetris interfered with desires not only for food, but also for drugs, including cigarettes, alcohol and coffee, and sex.
 The benefits of playing the block-shifting puzzle game remained constant over the seven-day study period.
According to Prof. Jackie Andrade from Plymouth University, "The Tetris effect happens because craving involves imagining the experience of consuming a particular substance or indulging in a particular activity". He added that, "Playing a visually-interesting game like Tetris occupies the mental processes that support that imagery. It is hard to imagine something vividly and play Tetris at the same time. Playing Tetris decreased craving strength for drugs, food, and activities from 70% to 56%.
30 participants of the research where requested to report any cravings at regular intervals when prompted and also pro-actively, independently of the prompts. Half of the participants were required to play Tetris for three minutes before reporting their craving levels again.
"The impact of Tetris on craving was consistent across the week and on all craving types," said professor Jon May, also from Plymouth University.
As a support tool, Tetris could help people manage their cravings in their daily lives and over extended time periods, researchers said.