Brain Teasers May Save Your Brain
If you often find yourself bored and don’t know what to do, then you should try solving some brain teasers and puzzles. They’re always fun to do, but more importantly, they can have a real good impact on your mental health. For your brain to stay sharp, you’ll need to keep it occupied constantly.
One of the best ways to do this is to play certain puzzles and mind teasers. Apart from keeping your mind alert on a daily basis, brain teasers also offer long-term benefits, such as reducing the risk of serious diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Just as you need to work out and exercise regularly to stay physically fit, you need to find activities dedicated to your brain. There are numerous mind games and puzzles that are developed for all ages, so it’s never too late to start doing them.
However, if you’re a parent and have kids, you should encourage them to start doing puzzles and brain teasers, as they can serve as outstanding brain training exercises. It’s essential to encourage your kids to start properly developing their brains at an early age.
Nowadays, it’s extremely easy to find mind puzzles on the Internet, so you’ll probably never run out of challenges that you can do. Whenever you have free time and are unsure what you should do, make sure you look up some puzzles and try solving them. For example, they can be a great way to spend your time while riding a bus to work.
Some of the most notable health benefits of brain teasers include:
- Improved concentration
- Improved problem-solving skills
- Reduced boredom
- Improved memory
- Improved overall brain activity
- Increased brain processing speed
- Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
- Puzzles can help dementia patients establish which areas of the brain might be impaired.
However, note that doing only one type of puzzle won’t really provide you with many mental health benefits. This is because a particular puzzle will activate only a small part of the brain. For example, if you do Sudoku and crossword puzzles, you’ll experience greater benefits than people who only do crossword puzzles. That’s why you should always include variety when it comes to doing brain teasers.
Computer-based brain exercise is sometimes recommended over paper-based activities, considering that you can constantly try out various new puzzles on your computer or smartphone. Doing computer-based puzzles will also provide you with the opportunity to always try doing more challenging teasers, which will definitely have a significant impact on your brain health.
According to a LiveScience article I read years ago, doing brain puzzles for just two hours a week can slow the aging of your mind. In fact, it’s even possible for older adults to improve their cognitive functioning. Just like your muscles can get stronger when you start exercising regularly, your brain can also become sharper relatively fast, as long as you keep it occupied with challenging tasks.
In case you don’t really enjoy puzzles and riddles or don’t find them too amusing, then you should try doing them with a friend or family member that you enjoy spending time with. Although it’s better if you do them alone, solving certain riddles and puzzles with someone else can provide you with an enjoyable activity. Of course, there are specific brain games that you need an opponent for, such as chess.
If you’re looking to improve your efficiency, then you’ll need to start exercising your brain more often. Just by doing brain teasers 20 minutes a day, you’ll experience enhanced concentration, improved problem-solving skills, and quicker thinking!