A client recently pointed me in the direction of an online TED Talk entitled “The Game that Can Give You 10 Extra Years of Life.” Not being a gamer myself, I was initially skeptical about the purpose of this talk.

However, my curiosity got the best of me, and I watched the video. I never expected it to leave a lasting impact.

The presenter, Jane McGonigal, begins by sharing the ultimate goal of her lecture, which is to extend viewers’ lives by at least seven minutes. She then shares her own experience. After obtaining a serious concussion that restricted her to an extended period of bed rest, McGonigal became depressed and suicidal. A month later and with the research knowledge of how gaming can produce positive psychological effects, she decided to make a game of her situation rather than surrender to it. Within her game, aptly named “Super Better,” Jane:

• Assumed the identity of “Jane the Concussion Slayer”
• Recruited her friends to “play”
• Fought off enemies (depression and physical symptoms related to her concussion)
• Mastered quests to progress through levels of play

By reframing her experience as a game, Jane developed the following four types of resilience that are associated with post-traumatic growth and a longer lifespan:

• Physical resilience (ability to heal the body)
• Mental resilience (ability for self-discipline)
• Emotional resilience (ability to increase positive thoughts)
• Social resilience (ability to utilize social interactions for personal well-being)

By playing “Super Better” via positive daily exercises throughout their lives, players can extend their lifespans by up to ten years, according to McGonigal’s calculations. By merely completing the exercises that Jane outlines during the seminar, audience members are told that they can extend their lives by seven minutes. Although these claims are largely unfounded, it is likely that the optimistic outlook on life that McGonigal promotes could actually contribute to a longer lifespan. Regardless of the legitimacy of Jane’s statistics, her message of hope in the face of adversity is inspiring.

You can watch Jane McGonigal’s TED Talk here:

http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_the_game_that_can_give_you_10_extra_years_of_life.html