How mindfulness training helps players

1) Short answer

Mindfulness is not "meditation for the sake of calm," but the skill of noticing an impulse before it turns into action. A couple of minutes of careful breathing and observation of the body return cognitive control, reduce automatism ("pressed - again") and give space in which you can apply your rules: stop loss, time limit, partial withdrawal, pause.

2) Why it works (short neuropsychology)

Reactivity decreases. Attention to breath/body reduces noradrenaline "noise" and soothes amygdala.

Prefrontal control returns. The ability to keep intent is growing ("I play according to plan/stop").

Habit is retrained. Craving is experienced as a sensation, not a command to action - a new "bridge" is formed: "I noticed → breathed → chose."

3) Base: 5 quick techniques

3. 1. STOP (30-90 seconds)

Stop - stop.

Take a breath - 3-5 slow breaths/exhalations.

Observe - mark thoughts/emotions/sensations ("4/5 craving, warmth in the chest, the thought of "finish and sleep"").

Proceed - proceed as planned (pause/stop/return to base rate).

3. 2. RAIN (2-3 minutes)

Recognize - recognize the trigger ("WIN-PEAK/NEAR/3 − in a row").

Allow - let the feeling be ("there is a craving - ok").

Investigate - where in the body, what thought?

Nurture - support yourself ("pause = take care of the bank and sleep"), go back to the rules.

3. 3. "Draft Surfing" (1-5 minutes)

Sit comfortably, track traction as a "wave": where in the body, how it grows/falls. Don't argue or suppress - watch until natural decline. On average, the wave weakens after 60-180 seconds.

3. 4. 3-minute breathing space

1st minute - what is in the head/emotions/body now?

2nd - attention on breathing.

3rd - expand your attention to the entire body/screen/environment, select the action according to plan.

3. 5. Body scan (3-10 minutes)

Pass attention from the top of your head to your feet. Notice the clamps, breathe "soften." Useful before/after session and before bed.

4) Where to apply "in the game"

After a big win (euphoria): STOP → RAIN → partial output 50-70% → pause 10 minutes → return to base u.

After a series of cons (tilt): 3-minute breathing → "surfing traction" → a stop block regardless of the timer.

Series "almost" (NEAR): STOP 60 sec → the prohibition to raise → break rate.

Late evening/night: body scan + 3-minute pause. If drowsiness/emotion ≥4/5 - end of session.

Live and timers: STOP for 30-60 seconds. If there are no 60-90 seconds to check EV - skip.

5) The combination of "awareness → rules"

Mindfulness alone is no substitute for discipline. Make it a bridge to predefined frames:

Block purpose (time/wager/entertainment), base rate (u), corridor ± 10-15%.
SL/TP: stop loss = (k\cdot (1-\text {RTP} )\cdot N\cdot u) (k = 1-2), break profit = fix multiplier/sum.
Stop time (curfew).
The technique → a short pause → the execution of the rule, and not "consciously continue the impulse."

6) Weekly implementation plan (15-20 minutes per day)

Days 1-2:

2 × for 5 minutes: body scan + breathing.
Print a STOP/RAIN card at the monitor.
Before the session - 3-minute breathing space.

Days 3-4:

We master "surfing traction" 1-3 times a day (even outside the game: coffee, social networks).
We include the log: total, turnover, emotions (1-5), WIN-PEAK/NEAR/TILT tags, the "were STOP/RAIN" mark.

Days 5-7:

10 minutes of formal practice/day (any of the techniques).
A/B check: "with pauses" vs "without" - compare turnover/hour and compliance with SL/TP.

7) Progress metrics (specific and measurable)

Compliance (discipline):

[
\ frac {#\text {SL/TP/time limit sessions} {#\text {all sessions} }\\\text {target }\ge 80%
]

The proportion of sessions with applied pause (STOP/RAIN/surfing) ≥60% with triggers.

Turnover/hour ↓ at X% vs basic without practice.

Night sessions: 0-1 per week → goal 0.

Subjective craving (scale 1-5) - average ↓ for 2-4 weeks.

8) Frequent errors and how to get around them

Wait for perfect silence. Practice briefly and often - 30-90 seconds also work.

Use mindfulness for "better luck hunting." The goal is choice and framing, not "feeling the moment of the bet more subtly."

Replace rules with meditation. Mindfulness - pause button; solutions sets the plan.

Ignore the body. Tension/fever/dry mouth - early markers of tilt; learn to notice them.

9) Mini-protocol "before, during, after"

Before: 3 minutes of breathing → talk target/N/u/SL/TP → brief body scan.

During: STOP, any trigger → apply a rule (pause/stop/output).

After: 1-2 minutes of breathing → log entry (total/emotions/what techniques worked).

10) When to connect a specialist

Limits are regularly broken, there are debts/secrecy.

Intense craving/anxiety/depression, obsessive thoughts about the game.

We need support in changes - CBT, motivational interviewing, mutual assistance groups.

💡 For acute crisis symptoms or thoughts of self-harm - contact emergency services/nearest medical center.

11) The bottom line

Mindfulness is a practical way to notice momentum and reclaim choice. Short pauses, breathing and watching the body reduce reactivity and allow you to fulfill your rules - stop, draw a conclusion, do not raise the rate "on emotions." Combine techniques with hard frames (SL/TP/time), log and support - and the game will remain in the zone of controlled solution, not momentum.