Every one of us hardcore gamers has at some point imagined going pro. If you’ve ever watched any tournament, it’s almost impossible to not become enthralled by the excitement – dozens of players hyper-focused in the arena, fans cheering, commentators screaming in amazement.

However, as thrilling as it is to watch someone else hold that tournament trophy, why can’t that person be you?

What separates the winners from losers?

We all have the same amount of time per day, so why do some gamers begin to excel past their peers so rapidly?

The best players don’t have any more time in a day than you, but they do know how to milk their time better. The best players are ultra-productive and know how to use their time and energy more effectively. They don’t sit around for the first hours in their day scrolling Instagram or getting caught in an endless feed of Tik Tok videos. They start their days focused and ready to go. Better yet, they even have a routine before they game.

The latest advancements in optimal productivity refer to “flow states.” You might also know of flow as when the brain is hyper-focused, in the zone, or on-point. Flow isn’t our natural state, but we can learn to “trigger” it using a proper routine.

Today, we’re going to teach you to enter the holy grail of focus and productivity with a proper morning routine you can use every time you game.

1. Pre-game Supplementation

The ability to access flow requires a consistent mindset each and every time you want to perform.

Some mornings you might be tired, sometimes groggy, or sometimes you might just not be in the mood for serious play. By taking a supplement, you normalize your state of mind, day-in-and-day-out, which increases the likelihood you practice in a consistent way.

For gamers that care about winning, Esport Labs developed VALIS. It’s a performance nootropic they guarantee will improve your win rate. It’s designed to balance cognitive enhancement, energy, focus, and coolness in a way that guarantees every gamer is ready to perform at their highest levels, every-time.

2. Optimize Your Environment

I’ve long believed gaming is a form of meditation – EEG brain scans for gamers in action are beginning to prove me right.

Have you ever gamed at a buddy’s who, for whatever reason, just had a “weird” feeling setup?

Maybe the mouse is too square or the keyboard is too tilted – for whatever reason, it just feels strange, and you just “can’t quite get into the zone” (flow). Whenever this occurs, you’ll lose focus in-game because your external environment is too distracting. 

It’s obvious your body must be optimized to succeed, but just as important is the mental side. Pay attention to how your physical body affects your mindset, and how your mindset affects your physical body – a crucial part of the flow is creating a state of “unthinking” so you can have extreme focus on the primary task at hand – dominating your opponents. 

Have you ever noticed the most dominant players in any first-person-shooter are extremely consistent? It’s not because their reflexes are that much better, or their vision is that much sharper, but because they extract value out of every possible scenario, and personal environment is a huge area every gamer can improve upon.

3. Set A Clear Goal

You (and your team) will benefit greatly from setting a goal for each session.

Not only will you win more with a clear victory focused in mind but you will develop your skills faster too.

Unlike traditional sports that have been around for many decades, games like Valorant are incredibly new and require competitive gamers to learn the sport exponentially quicker. There are no coaches, field guides, or expert players to inform you of the best tactics and strategies for Valorant – as an emerging player it’s up to you to develop game-breaking methods.

Luckily, we can look at previous, similar games like CS:GO to mimic successful methods. We immediately think of common variables: mouse aim ability & speed, team movements, map control, and team communication. Valorant has many other intricacies, and all should be considered. What are the goals of today’s training session? Thinking about your training focus not only allows you to create drills for practice but also allows you and your team to “think” more about Valorant.

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Newly-released competitive games are extremely exciting because they create a totally even playing field as everybody starts from a blank slate. There’s no stong meta strategy, or strengths and weaknesses haven’t been exploited – it’s an entirely new creative space. At this point, only the strong survive and it takes’ everything you’ve got to be the best.  

At Esport Labs, we’re constantly looking for the best, most valuable tips & tricks to excel our gamers into the top 1%. Join our newsletter and we’ll keep you updated on the latest in professional Valorant, and all the top esports.