5. Manage your stress

Your body doesn't know the difference between real stress — look out, car! — and virtual stress — look out, pipe! Games cause a physical reaction. A rush. That's why we play them. But it's also why they can make us crazy. Luckily, because the body doesn't know the difference, the same things that can keep us calm in the real world can keep us calm in the game world too: Slow, steady, breathing. Sounds silly, I know, but there's a reason why the best fighters, the best sharpshooters, and the best surgeons all learn to manage their breathing. It creates calm. It creates focus. It puts you in the zone. And it means that, when you start getting close to your high score — or your friend's high score — you'll be less likely to freak out and fly right into a pipe.