Keeping your mind active and sharp is one of the best things you can do for your quality of life. Learning, completing challenges and puzzles, and even just reading are all things that can keep your brain sharp as a tack for longer. It’s a great habit to get into today, no matter your age, and can continue to help you stay present, aware, and clever as you get older. The brain is a muscle like any other, so work it out!
Top 3 Brain-Boosting Games:
- Scrabble
Scrabble is a top-notch game with so many fun variations, including single-person games you can enjoy on your phone. Regardless of whether you play the original Scrabble or a newer inspired version like Words with Friends, you’ll still be challenging yourself to identify words, strategize on how to beat your opponent, and expand your vocabulary all at once. If you ever blank and are in need of a booster, then you can even use a Scrabble word finder to help you out. Think using a word finder won’t give you those benefits? Think again. You’ll remember those words and immediately be able to see the finished word out of your options, which in turn can help spur you on through the next level.
- Crosswords
Finishing a crossword means you need both a big vocabulary that you can mentally access at the top of a hat and also problem-solving. It’s a combination of word games and clue-solving and can be massively beneficial for the brain. There’s also no time limit or other players waiting on you, so you can pick at it again and again throughout the day or even the week. The puzzle community is also very vibrant, with puzzles from top publishers like the New York Times drawing in a lot of fans and discussions.
- Sudoku
Sudoku may look intimidating when you first see it, but it’s really all about working through things one step at a time. Once you get the hang of a Sudoku puzzle, the process can be very relaxing and methodical, working to both boost your brain and help you relax as you sit down and complete it.
Top tip: If you find that your paper notes get really messy, use an app version. This lets you put down the possible numbers neatly without fuss, so you can focus instead on the joy of puzzle solving.
Brain Benefits of Puzzles
We hope the games we listed above are going to be a perfect and enjoyable during your downtime. To complete a puzzle, you’ll need both the right and left sides of your brain working in tandem with each other. Solving clues and trying to find the answer or at least the best option is also similar to hunting (at least mentally) which is highly stimulating. Since this hunt takes a huge amount of your focus, doing puzzles can actually help you destress. If you come across a particularly difficult challenge, you’ll work your brain out and encourage it to boost your brain power, helping you in all areas of your life.
Completing puzzles will also help you think outside of the box, spot opportunities and details others might miss, and can help you in other ways, depending on the type of puzzle. Word games, for example, can boost your vocabulary.
