Appropriately enough, I’m writing today’s blog at 1:00 in the morning the night before it goes live. That’s because it’s finals week. I’ve got papers to read, papers to write, and interactive narrative artifacts to design. I straight up forgot to do my daily blogging duties. But you know what? I think that’s OK.

It’s the same reason I’m allowed to delay running my games for a week (which I just did on Saturday). Even though my GM super-ego is giving me grief about it (I see you there Quest Giver), maintaining a healthy relationship with your hobby is smart play. That might mean skipping the big, heavy-hitting session after a rough week at work, opting for a silly one-shot instead. It might mean breaking out the board games, kicking off a movie night, or simply hanging out with the party rather than swinging swords and rolling dice.

And while I’ll be the first to say that flaking out is far from ideal, I also think it’s occasionally necessary. Just make sure to make the announcement early rather than waiting until the 11th hour. Nobody likes having their weekend plans cancelled at the last minute.

What do the rest of you guys think? When school and work seem overwhelming and RPGs become one more stress rather than a fun way to relax, how do you manage to unwind? And when you do cancel game night, what do you like to replace it with? Let’s hear all about it down in the comments!

 

EARN BONUS LOOT! Check out the The Handbook of Heroes Patreon. We’ve got a sketch feed full of Laurel’s original concept art. We’ve got early access to comics. There’s physical schwag, personalized art, and a monthly vote to see which class gets featured in the comic next. And perhaps my personal favorite, we’ve been hard at work bringing a bimonthly NSFW Handbook of Erotic Fantasy comic to the world! So come one come all. Hurry while supplies of hot elf chicks lasts!