Tips for surviving The War Within launch day, with help from a shrimp

Now that the launch of World of Warcraft: The War Within is only days away I have been running down my checklist of tasks both in and out of the game to prepare. As someone who has been trying to start healthier habits back up I know the urge to turn into a degenerate goblin is there, and maybe you’re in the same place.

To help us all stick to some healthy (at least healthier) habits during the busy War Within launch, here are some plans I have to help prevent my posture resembling a shrimp left out in the sun and keeping some healthier, easier to prepare, low effort food options around.

Avoid muscle fatigue with good posture

This is your shrimp-postured captain speaking. As we prepare for takeoff on our flight to Khaz Algar, make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened and your seat back is in the full and upright position. If needed, pillows are available for lumbar support.

Good posture, more than anything else on this list, usually starts out with the best intentions but can be the easiest habit to slip out of — and poor posture can leave you miserable after only a few hours of gaming. A lot of factors can contribute to bad posture, particularly your desk, chair, and general gaming setup. This list is hopefully something you can check occasionally to remind you back to maintain a healthier position. Just remember: listen to your body, because if something hurts it’s telling you to stop, so don’t do it. It may take some time and patience to make a lasting change in your posture if that’s your goal, but it can really help you feel better — particularly if you’re planning to spend long hours diving into your favorite game.

Your chair and desk setup is crucial. Remember that while soft and plush chairs may feel the most comfortable in the moment they aren’t always the best for your overall wellbeing, because it’s important to have a chair with good support. Here are some key things to keep in mind for better posture:

• Keep your monitor at eye level to help prevent neck strain. You don’t want to tilt your head for long periods of time.
• Use a lumbar pillow if available, or roll up a towel to support your back while you smash away at your keyboard.
• Make sure your knees are at, or below, your hips in your chair.
• Your armrest should be high enough to raise your shoulders up slightly.

Now is the time to adjust your gaming setup to make sure you won’t wind up with annoying aches and pains mid-way through leveling.

Take breaks to stretch and move around

This is your captain speaking. We just reached our cruising altitude of 40,000 feet. I’ve turned off the fasten seatbelt sign and you are now free to move about the cabin. In fact, I recommend it.

Even with perfect posture, sitting still in your chair for hours on end isn’t ideal. Here are some easy tips to help keep your body limber and your eyes adequately maintained while playing for extended periods of time, starting with your eyes.

You don’t want to run into that late night case of dry eye with tears flowing down your face during the big cutscene, do you? I didn’t think so, so make sure you blink — something that we don’t always do enough when we’re focused on our screens. This will help keep your eyes feeling refreshed. You have eye lids for a reason, so use them! Along with that make sure to rest your eyes every so often. That doesn’t mean you need to go to bed and sleep it off per se, but take about 20 seconds every 20 minutes to look at something at least 20 feet away. When you stare at objects close to you, the muscles in your eyes constrict and stay that way. By looking at something further away you actually allow them to relax, and even those short breaks make a big difference

As for the rest of your body, try to keep a healthy routine of stretching every so often. Aim to stretch every 90 minutes or so whether you stand up and go through a whole routine or you remain seated as you can see here. You don’t want to let your muscles tense so that when you are ready to rejoin the rest of society you do not find yourself in unexpected pain. If you are not a fan of stretching or you want to try and be efficient in checking several tasks off then don’t forget that a short walk can also make all the difference. During your walk you could give your eyes that much needed rest by staring at objects further ahead of you, stretch your body by moving around, and also gives your body a new position for a little bit so you can reset try and reset your posture easier when you return to your desk.

Keep your energy levels up by making good food choices

This is your captain speaking. In a few moments, the flight attendants will be passing through the cabin to take food and drink orders. It’s a long flight, so remember to hydrate.

I know most of us aren’t going to be planning extravagant feasts to rival some of the things seen in game unless we have to. It’s always times like these that I fall back on food I can throw into the microwave and eat with minimum effort, so I can quickly get back to gaming. But for The War Within, I’ll be picking up some launch night snacks including a veggie tray and a block of tofu. The veggie tray isn’t just for parties anymore — I often have to remind myself — and is an overlooked snack idea to the average gamer. But a pre-prepared veggie tray is a great way to grab food and quickly return to your desk. If veggies aren’t close enough to a chip for you, then consider some tofu chips. Thinly sliced tofu placed in either an air fryer or baked in the oven makes a really satisfying chip that can be seasoned exactly to your liking. They’re lower in calories and also provide protein which most chips do not, making for a more filling snack.

Another tip that may prevent you from making any DoorDash orders at 3 am is to prep a meal beforehand. These don’t have to be complicated: just make something you like with enough leftovers for a few extra meals. Some of my favorite meal preps are eggroll in a bowl, chicken and veggie stir fry, and egg white omelet bakes. The world is your oyster when it comes to planning your meals ahead of time, and if you divide them into individual containers it’s just as easy to reheat as any microwave dinner.

Last, but certainly not least, REMEMBER TO HYDATE. Just because you want to punish Xal’atath doesn’t mean you need to shrivel up like a defeated Old God to do it. Becoming dehydrated can cause drowsiness, fatigue, headaches, and more — so keep yourself in the game longer by making sure you drink enough water. Even if you consider energy drinks a game day must-have, keep a water bottle at your desk to sip on.

This is your captain speaking. We have begun our descent into Khaz Algar. I hope you all have a great launch day!

It is just that shrimple to form some healthy habits to see you through long days of gaming. I look forward to seeing all of you out there!