I’m Jane McGonigal, Game Designer and Author, and This Is How I Work
Jane McGonigal is a game designer, but she’s definitely not working on the next Mario. Rather, she brings an academic perspective to games and looks at how games can improve our lives and solve real-life problems.
Her new book, SuperBetter, explores how we deal with stress and problems while playing games scientifically and applies this knowledge to real life. Prior to the book’s appearance, the SuperBetter project was initiated by a traumatic incident: Jane suffered a severe concussion, which made her unable to work, was depressed and even had a suicidal tendency. But she avoided a downward spiral by setting goals for herself, effectively turning her recovery into a game. This personal challenge eventually morphed into an iOS app, and it is one of her many projects demonstrating that games and life should not be treated as separate domains. We spoke with Jane to find out a little more about her work and what games she is currently playing.
Location: Oakland, California. Current Job : I am the Chief Scientist at gaming company SuperBetter , where I just completed a clinical trial of a game designed to help players recover from depression, anxiety, and head injury, funded by the National Institutes of Health. I’m also the author of ( Reality is Broken and my new book SuperBetter ). I spend a lot of time on the road giving talks and sharing the science of games with the public. One word that best describes how you work: Active Modern mobile device: iPhone 6 Current computer: MacBook Air
What apps, software or tools can’t you live without?
First and foremost, the Nike + running app , because whenever I have to solve a design problem or overcome a writing deadlock, I run. I can solve any work problem with a 5-mile run.
Google Scholar because you can find peer-reviewed research on just about anything – and usually a PDF of the full article, even if it’s behind an academic firewall.
Skype and Google Hangouts because my fellow researchers and developers are based in other parts of the country (Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Ohio State University).
Recently, Candy Crush Saga has appeared , because whenever I need to increase focus or willpower, I take on a level in the game. I’m at level 678 right now.
How is your workplace arranged?
I mostly work from home, and (this may sound strange!) I mostly work from my bed or on the couch with sports on TV in the background. I have a very relaxed working style and enjoy distractions such as my dogs wrestling on the bed next to me or tennis matches on TV. I mean, I’m writing this interview right now while watching the third installment of the men’s Western and Southern Open semifinals.
When I really need to focus, I walk into a room we call “the future” and sit at a table that has been modeled after the wing of a B-52 bomber. My husband – a writer who also works from home – will scream from somewhere else in the house, “Jane, where are you?” and I shout back: “I am in the future!”
What’s your best time-saver or life hack?
If I’m going to fly somewhere, I’ll be stalling like crazy a day or two before, so I have a huge list of letters to return, slides to prepare, or articles to write on the plane. I get anxious about flying, and the best way I’ve found for myself is to have a million things that I absolutely need to do before we land. At home, I am so calm about my work. But when I fly, I’m like the most stressed, over-centered, insanely productive person in the world. While they are giving the safety briefing, I make a special to-do list, which I call the “Flight Plan”, and literally every minute I outline how I am going to conduct the entire flight. It’s a little neurotic, but really effective. So here’s my life hack: if you have any anxiety while flying, put it off before flying in order to be super productive.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
I like to use notebooks. I have a drawer full of old Moleskine notebooks and a Sanrio mini-book (Sanrio makes Hello Kitty , a number a star , and other happy cartoon characters) that go back literally 15 years. I always swap which notebook I use, so I can make a to-do list for today, rather than a to-do list I made ten years ago when I was in graduate school.
I have never thrown away any of these notebooks, and I never will. It’s a really great alternative to a magazine – if you want to know what my life was like at any given time, looking through to-do lists is ideal. And I am constantly amazed and happy when I come across to-do lists from interesting periods in my life. It also helps me maintain perspective. I think about how stressed I could have been when I was making this list on the opposite page 5 years ago, and I realize that everything on my list today, which now seems overwhelming, will just become another page in my life. which I will look back with surprise and delight in the future.
What device, besides a phone and a computer, can you not live without and why?
Is a foam roller a gadget? When I have a really big project that I’m working on, like writing a book or launching a game, I usually train at the same time before a race. Doing a training run every day helps me feel productive and successful, even on days when I face stumbling blocks or unexpected difficulties in a work project. So, for example, last year when I wrote SuperBetter , I was also training for the California International Marathon. I ran the marathon a few weeks after I finished the book. It might seem counterintuitive, or, to be more blunt, a really stupid idea to tackle a big, complex personal goal while simultaneously pursuing a huge professional goal. But I find it helps me keep my balance. The more difficult the work project, the more difficult I will tackle the running task. The dynamics in my teaching gives me more resilience in my professional life. So, the gadget I can’t live without is my foam roller that I use to roll sore muscles!
Are you always working on something? Or when you finish a project, do you take the time to let your mind wander without worrying about what comes next?
In fact, I have a really special trick for solving this problem. I constantly tweet about projects or types of work that I would like to do someday. For example, I’ll tweet, “I’d really like to do a game for the Broadway musical you play in the theater someday.” Or I’ll watch a reality show and say, “This show has great game design! If the producers ever do another show, I would love to help them put game theory into show design! “Or, if I speak, I say,” By the way, I think Nike is great at using game design in their technology, if anyone from Nike is here I would love to work with you. guys! “And I just do it all the time. You’d be surprised how often it works. Rumor has it. Just this week I was contacted by the producers of a TV show I tweeted about last year to do some statistics on the probabilities and analyzing game theory for the new show they are doing So my advice is to have a long list of people or companies you would like to work with and just talk publicly about it all the time. Don’t keep your crazy or creative ideas to yourself. …
What are some of your best everyday activities?
It took me ages to find the answer to this question, because there are all kinds of ordinary everyday things that I am not very good at, like cooking or driving. HOWEVER: I fall asleep very well quickly, even if I have something to worry about the next day. My secret is that every night my husband and I do the “three great things” before bed. We each have three things to say that went well today, even if it was a terrible day. More often than not, I say something like, “I had a great call (with someone I work with)” or “Today I developed a great quest.” But some days I have to look at the big picture and say something like, “We had electricity and running water all day,” which is actually really fucking amazing when you think about it.
What do you listen to while you work?
Tennis Channel or ESPN.
What are you reading now?
The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Isn’t a Disease Mark Lewis, The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal, and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nahesi Coates.
How do you replenish? Have you ever played console games?
I don’t believe in recharging – at least in the way we usually talk about it, that is, taking a break from “stressful” activities. From my own experience – and from the scientific literature! – it is clear that we get more energy, spending energy, and not trying to save it, and more motivation, doing something difficult for us, and not enjoying some easy task.
Research shows, for example, that if you’re pressed for time, the single most effective way to feel less rushed and depressed is to spend 15 minutes spontaneously helping someone else . You feel “richer time” by giving your time rather than saving it for yourself. Research shows that if you are feeling physically tired or mentally exhausted, the best way to recharge is not to relax, but to actually do something difficult, be it trying to solve a puzzle or doing twenty push-ups.
And yes, of course, for me, video games are a great way to get a boost of mental or physical energy. The key is to play the one that is really difficult for you. The more difficult the game is for you personally, the more energy it will charge. (This is because challenging play – or whatever fun activity you choose for yourself – increases the dopamine available in your brain’s reward chains, which increases your motivation and willpower.)
What is your sleep pattern?
I am a new mom with six month old twin girls. My sleep routine is HELP I NEED MORE SLEEP.
But in general, in “life before the kids,” I was the happiest and most productive when I went to bed quite early – at 10 o’clock in the evening – and woke up at 6 in the morning. Here’s my most reliable “sleep technique” that I especially use when traveling to different time zones: I go “getting dark after dark.” That is, I will turn off all the lights in the room at sunset so that everything will go dark as soon as possible. The earlier I sit in the dark, the sooner I get tired of going to bed. As an added bonus, doing this at home will save energy and lower your electricity bills. I admit openly that this is a bit eccentric, but I think it’s fun to try these mini-personal tasks from time to time. Even if you just “go dark after dark” one day a week, it can help you get at least one night of sleep.
Fill in the blank: I would like _________ to answer these same questions.
Amy Schumer. Serena Williams. Buddhist monk Cheri Huber .
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“The opposite of play is not work. This is depression. ” These words of wisdom were spoken by Brian Sutton-Smith, renowned explorer of the game. It helps me remember that I am happiest and most productive when I take the time to play games every day, even if it’s only a few minutes. Or, if I’m not playing a game, I always set myself at least one game goal or mini-quest that has nothing to do with work, for example: “Talk to at least three different people today besides my husband. “(It’s always difficult when you work from home!) Or” Send thank you messages to five different people today. ” Games and personal mini-quests help us unleash our ability to be creative, highly motivated, collaborative and determined to find out what we really are capable of.