Kathleen “Loserfruit” Belsten, Australia’s leading female gamer, sat down with KitKat to share her insights into the gaming world, balancing life and work, and the importance of taking breaks. From her humble beginnings as a high school gamer who kept her passion hidden, Kathleen has grown into a confident, proactive force in the industry.
In this candid Q&A, she discusses her journey, the challenges she’s faced, and her commitment to maintaining a healthy lifestyle while pursuing her passion for gaming. Partnering with KitKat, Kathleen also highlights the significance of taking breaks, not just for better gameplay, but for overall well-being.
Why did you first hide your identity as a gamer?
Cause it wasn’t cool yet and it seemed kind of a waste of time to others so I felt a little ashamed – but this was in high school when everything seemed like such a big deal
Kathleen, you’ve achieved incredible success as Australia’s number one female gamer. What inspired you to pursue gaming as a career, and how has your journey shaped who you are today?
Thank you. I thought it was such a new industry and that it would only go places from there and I also thought why couldn’t I be doing it. I had a lot of belief in myself and the future of gaming. My journey I think has helped me to be a very patient, but proactive person more because of my failures than my successes.
Balancing work and life can be challenging, especially with long gaming sessions. How do you ensure you’re taking care of yourself both mentally and physically while maintaining your gaming career?
For me, it’s about sticking to a routine – like I have to get 5 workouts in a week. I have to do 10k steps a day. It’s not negotiable. At first it was hard, but now it’s a habit.
The KitKat research highlights how many gamers struggle with taking breaks. What are some of the strategies you use to stay focused and avoid burnout during long gaming sessions?
Playing with friends and they hold you accountable helps – when twitch chat tells me to take a break I tend not to listen so it’s got to be someone I know personally. I haven’t quite nailed how to take breaks if I’m being honest, so this whole KitKat campaign is a good reminder about it. I know that I play better after a break, but making it a habit is a lot harder. The Break Chair campaign brings that reminder in a new way to disrupt play and get gamers to remember to break.
Gaming is so fun.
As someone who’s passionate about advocating for a healthy work/life balance, what advice would you give to other gamers who might be struggling to find that balance in their own lives?
You will still get to the same destination if you have a good balance. Most people I know tend to come up with their best ideas after a planned break or when they know a break is coming. Not when they’re constantly pushing every hour and are mentally fried. Remember the advice you would give to a friend in the situation and start applying it to yourself. We’re always nicer to our friends than ourselves.
Gaming can sometimes have a reputation for being all-consuming. How do you manage to stay connected with your friends, family, and personal interests outside of the gaming world?
Fortunately, a lot of my friends are in the industry and it’s fun relating to them about anything gaming related. My family too are absolute nerds, so it’s not too crazy. Like they get and support the crazy hours I do. I think time is the biggest difficulty when it comes to seeing family and friends and managing that will always be a big struggle even if you’re good with time management. Best to do is maybe keep a rule like you see your extended family once a month and your mum every week.
You’ve partnered with KitKat to promote the importance of taking breaks. What does a typical “break” look like for you, and how do you find it impacts your overall well-being and gameplay?
A typical break is when I put my phone away – even outside of gaming, the work of a content creator means that you get out what you put in and you kind of always want to be doing something content related. HOWEVER that would drive me crazy, so it’s just about putting my phone in airplane mode and not being at a PC. I play with the cats, cook a meal, gym and go for walks in my free time without a phone. And I always come back with reinvigorated energy or even some cool stories.
Looking ahead, what are some of your goals for the future, both in your gaming career and in your personal life? How do you plan to continue advocating for balance and well-being within the gaming community?
I am not 100% sure about my future, I make up a lot of things as I go. I know that every year has been better than the last and I plan to continue that trend but always forcing myself to do something uncomfortable. That means I’m always growing in my career or personal life if I’m out of my comfort zone. I think I’ll always be in the gaming/creator community space but maybe it’ll more be a behind the scenes role helping others with all that I’ve learnt.
You can follow Kathleen at her Instagram channel @loserfruit and KitKat at @KitKatanz
