Mentally, it's sometimes hard to play CSGO. Just like anything that requires effort and practice, CSGO can take a toll on your mental faculties. It is important for you to remain mentally healthy as being positive and happy affects your gameplay more than simply mindlessly trying to increase your mechanical skill. Your "mindset" can affect all aspects of CSGO, so it's important to address it.

Motivation

A lot of people don't really struggle with motivation as they learn to play CSGO and keep grinding. However, as they keep playing and ascending into higher ranks, it can become easier to feel a lack of motivation. Whether this is due to a feeling of plateauing, dealing with toxicity, or other non-game factors, this lack of motivation can really hurt. If you feel yourself suffering from a lack of motivation, it is time to step back for a bit and consider your situation.

Depending on the context, such as the surrounding factors in your life, it might serve you well to take a break, whether it be a short or long one. Think about what CSGO means to you and what it could potentially mean to you and then decide what to do accordingly. If you still love the game and are just suffering from some bad matches, just take a small break and do some other activities, like hanging out with friends, playing sports, or watching movies. Then, you can bounce back over the next few days after the rest that you've had.

Sometimes, however, you need to take a longer break. For me personally, I've recently entered my senior year of college. Delving into my interest of coding, I have felt a lack of motivation towards CSGO and have dedicated increasingly less time to it. Thinking about the entire situation, I decided to take an extended hiatus from CSGO.

In summary, think about your entire situation related to your motivation at that point in your life and decide whether you want to keep playing.

Positivity

I don't know how much I've preached this, but you have to be as positive as you can. All video game communities contain toxicity within their ranks due to their competitive nature. It is best to avoid contributing to it. Even if you're getting absolutely smashed and you feel that you're playing well, be upbeat and keep comforting your teammates. I know that when I am bottom fragging, I appreciate the comfort that some teammates give. I try to learn from that example so even if I am going 20-8 and we're down 12-3 at half, I try to be as uplifting as possible. Focus on what both you and your teammates are doing right. No matter what happens and what kind of situation arises in game, you can focus on the positives. If you execute amazingly but lose the 5v3 postplant, try saying something like, "That's fine. We just need to play our postplant a little better next round," instead of, "Oh my god, how could we lose a 5v3?" The tone of your voice and the words you use have a profound impact on the game.

By being positive, you will have a positive impact on both you and your teammates' games. Stay upbeat!

Ask for Help

Sometimes, you will absolutely suck at the game. Whether it just be one game or a slump, there is no avoiding doing awful at certain stages of your CSGO career. When you're going through this, it is best to ask for help and admit that you're not playing well. By being blunt and upfront about it and saying things like "I'm pretty rusty and am trying to improve. Could you guys give me some tips?", you communicate that you want to help them and not be a complete hindrance even if you are playing terribly. This usually results in the difference between "God, you're awful, can we kick you?" and "Alright, follow me to B and I'll show you where to play." Don't be afraid to ask for help and admit that your game might be a bit off.

Stay Calm

No matter what arises in game, stay calm. If someone is not as skilled, encourage them. If you truly believe someone is cheating, calmly report them and move on. Don't dwell on the fact. If somebody is trying to talk trash on the other team, simply ignore it and it will eventually go away. If you're starting to get frustrated and heated, just take a deep breath and remember that you play the game to have fun and improve as much as you can. If you're playing with teammates that are not responsive or don't speak your language as well, just speak slower and call simple strats. There is no use getting angrier and angrier at a person in the game. Stay calm. Keep your cool!

Conclusion

If mentally you enjoy playing the game, it is easier to play better and better. However, if you're mentally down, it becomes harder and harder for you to play. That is why it is extremely important to consider your mental state when playing the game. Just remember all of the above and try to keep playing for the love of the game.

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