‘Gaming is my main source of relaxation and stress relief’: the wellbeing benefits of gaming for mothers

This exploratory study examines how mothers negotiate gaming within the constraints of everyday parenting, and how these conditions shape both motivation and wellbeing. Drawing on qualitative survey data from 38 Australian mothers, the study applies self-determination theory (SDT) alongside recovery theory to explore how gaming supports or constrains needs-satisfaction and psychological recovery. Findings show that gaming offers moments of recovery through detachment, relaxation, mastery, nostalgia and emotional regulation, supporting both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. Mothers actively curate gameplay around parenting demands to sustain autonomy, competence and relatedness, despite frequent interruption. However, intensive mothering expectations, domestic labour, time scarcity, gamer guilt, and inflexible game design frequently disrupt engagement, resulting in needs-frustration and partial recovery. The study contributes to communication research by showing how gaming is shaped through the everyday negotiation of time, attention, and parental responsibility, providing a gendered account of how parenting structures access to leisure and wellbeing.