There are different reasons why I’ll go through periods of prolonged gaming. The first is that I’m looking for something to unwind with - gaming can be a quiet, solo activity that lets me just tackle objectives or challenges in a fairly linear fashion. If your job involves a lot of talking in meetings all day or context switching, this can be therapeutic.
But I’ve also recognized that I will often turn to gaming when I’m not being challenged enough or fulfilled enough elsewhere. Recently I went through a year at work where I was pretty much coasting, and therefore being able to knock out several games or keep pace with friends in multiplayer titles replaced that sense of fulfillment I would normally have gotten from work that mentally stimulated me.
But I’ve also recognized that I will often turn to gaming when I’m not being challenged enough or fulfilled enough elsewhere. Recently I went through a year at work where I was pretty much coasting, and therefore being able to knock out several games or keep pace with friends in multiplayer titles replaced that sense of fulfillment I would normally have gotten from work that mentally stimulated me.