Crossword is one of the most productive and efficient ways to pass some time. There is nothing that can beat the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment which comes from solving an especially hard puzzle. Not only it is an entertaining and fun hobby but can also do wonders for your mental health.
Did you know that solving daily crossword puzzles can significantly improve your brain functions? Yes, it is true. It can improve our vocabulary, refresh our mind, and increase our concentration. There are several other benefits of solving daily crossword puzzles.
What does science say?
The topic has been thoroughly researched to study the impact of crossword puzzles on our brain functions. A renowned researcher Ann Lukits wrote in the Wall Street Journal about the benefits of solving puzzles regularly.
Her words were, “Puzzles boost verbal skills as well as cut dementia risks”. After a series of researches and experimentations, she determined that puzzles can improve memory and brain functions, even in older adults. A simple game of crossword every day can improve mental functions in patients with brain damage or early dementia.
British researchers started another study on similar terms. They wanted to determine the results of crosswords on people with the age of fifty and above. Researcher Keith Wesnes, who is a renowned professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Exeter in England, studied the impact of crosswords on the attention, reasoning, and memory test.
They found a direct relationship between the entire process of solving the puzzle, the speed, the accuracy and a varying range of functions including attention, memory, and reasoning. People who played crosswords regularly had much better and consistently improving performances compared to others.
The tests also proved that playing daily crossword puzzles can reduce the mental age and improve the virality of a person by almost ten years.
They also compiled the data of online tests that were conducted on more than 17,000 healthy people who dabble in puzzles regularly. Impressive and innovative technologies like CogTrackTM and Protect online cognitive test systems were used to assess and analyze the core aspects of their brain functions.
The test revealed a direct link between the puzzles and their memory and thinking skills. Doctor Doug Brown who was a part of this critical study said that crosswords keep you mentally active, which is one of the top tips for people suffering from dementia.
Solving crossword puzzles also has a positive effect on your collaborative cruciverbalism. So, you might be thinking what exactly is collaborative cruciverbalism? It is one’s ability to think creatively and in an enhanced and strategic fashion when working in a group.
It can help you improve social bonds and be more cooperative and understanding of other’s problems. Crosswords not only help you think better but also improve your verbal skills. You can understand problems and solve them much faster than those who do not avail the benefits of playing daily crosswords puzzles.
Now that we have heard what science has to say, let’s discuss all the benefits of playing crosswords daily in details.
1. Playing daily crossword puzzles can enhance your memory.
Taking some time to solve a crossword puzzle every day can have a significant impact on your memory. Are you one of those who is constantly forgetting small things and occasions? This problem is more common than you might think. A majority of our population face a continuous decline in their memory as they begin to age.
Working on crossword puzzles regularly can curb this problem and enhance our memory power. It not only strengthens the prevailing connection between our brain cells but also set up new connections to augment the process. The addition of these new connections can increase our mental speed and boost our thought process.
Solving puzzles is beneficial for people from all age groups. Young minds are still malleable and their memory needs to be strengthened. They are advised to solve a daily crossword puzzle to grow their brain capacity and enhance their memory. Adults and rapidly aging individuals especially need help when it comes to their memory. The ever-increasing age can weaken their memory and affect their brain capacity.
Solving a daily crossword puzzle is a great way to exercise their brain and keep their memory sharp. Puzzles can also help in keeping a variety of memory-related neurological diseases including dementia, Alzheimer’s, and more.
2. Solving puzzles can accelerate ingenuity.
Puzzles are intricate and complicated. They bend our brain in a variety of different ways, forcing us to think outside the box. Solving a daily crossword puzzle is no easy task, there are a lot of trial and errors. It forces us to formulate new and eccentric theories and test them to check whether we are correct or not.
The entire process of forcing our brain to think smartly and solve the problems as fast as we can equip our empirical mind with creative capabilities. The total process forces us to be more innovative, more creative, and more precognitive.
The simple task of solving daily crossword puzzles can help us improve and boost our problem-solving skills and think better than we ever could. Isn’t that what we all are always looking for! To be smarter, to be cooler.
3. Improve bonding when solved in groups.
Some people love to add crossword puzzle games to their social events, family picnics, barbeques, and more. It is a fun and entertaining way to spend some quality time together. As mentioned above, when played in groups, the crossword puzzle can avail collaborative cruciverbalism.
It can help us bond with our close ones better and faster. In one of the several research works done on the positive effects of solving daily crossword puzzles, it was found that it can also “improve the speed of thinking and talking”.
The results are a more socially open, acceptable, and friendly individual who can bond immediately with others. It does not matter whether we play with a band of brothers, a flock of friends, our extended family group, or just some strangers who are crossword enthusiasts, we are bound to see positive results in our social bonding capabilities.
4. You get to learn new words every day.
Famous philosophers have said that we never really stop learning, we constantly learn something new until the day we die. And what can be better than learning new words every day! Crossword puzzle creators use complicated, rare, and unused words with the sole purpose of leaving you puzzled.
There are several occasions when people have to check word meanings in the dictionary because they are extremely trying and complex. Solving them allows you to get exposed to such words that you would not have experienced otherwise.
Apart from increasing your memory power and boosting your creativity, you also get to enhance your vocabulary, which is a crucial skill that everyone needs in their life.
If you solve a crossword puzzle daily, you get the opportunity to learn one or more new words every day. This enhanced vocabulary can help you grow and develop your professional life and reach your end goal much faster.
5. Solving puzzles produce an Extra dose of Dopamine.
Have you ever solved an online crossword puzzle or on the newspaper that you never thought you could? Do you remember the extreme sense of satisfaction and accomplishment you felt when you finally solved the entire crossword?
It was the dopamine being released into your brain that causes such an intense feeling of accomplishment, satisfaction, and happiness. You do not have to solve extremely difficult and complicated puzzles or make a huge breakthrough, even a simple puzzle can boost the dopamine production in your brain.
The release of dopamine in your brain not only improves your motor skills but also elevates your concentration power. It makes you feel more confident, optimistic, and capable of greater things.
It is the reason why after solving one puzzle, we have an intense need to solve a more difficult and challenging one. Such a simple task or solving crossword puzzles daily avail such serious and intense benefits.
6. Helps you deal with Real-life problems.
All of us are constantly struggling with a plethora of real-life problems, just searching for easy and smart ways to solve them. Despite going through such difficult times, we know the end result will be worth its while. The world of crossword puzzles is quite similar.
The puzzles are not that easy to solve but you know once you solve them; the result will be unimaginable. You rack your brain, squeeze it to its maximum potential to solve different puzzles every day. And once you have successfully solved it, you get new confidence and vigor to take your real-life problems head-on.
The entire process of solving crossword puzzles include structured thinking, careful planning, and practical considerations. You not only learn these traits but also get to apply them to your real-life problems. The simple task of solving crossword puzzles regularly helps you study the patterns of life and assists you in solving real-life problems with ease and optimism.
7. Solving puzzles improve your Concentration Power.
Crossword puzzles are intense, intricate and difficult to understand. You need to be completely engaged and dig deep into the problem at hand. You need to be focused entirely on the puzzle if you want to solve it successfully.
This improves your concentration power and teaches you how to completely focus on a particular problem. Moreover, when you put all your focus on solving the puzzle, you forget about your daily problems and relax a little. Isn’t that a wonderful way to relax as well as sharpen your concentrating powers?
8. Crosswords can Improve your Mood.
Depression is a problem that is spreading like a wildfire, across the world. People of all age groups are facing these problems. Being depressed, having overall bad mood throughout the day, and feeling incapable are just some problems that today’s society is facing.
Crossword puzzles are a great way to solve these problems. Solving puzzles give you a sense of intense accomplishment and success which will take care of any thoughts that you might be having about your inabilities.
As mentioned above, it also releases dopamine which makes you feel peaceful, happy, and serene. It improves your mood and gives you a boost of confidence and self-assurance. You get to be happy, motivated, and full of confidence and vigor to take on new challenges. It also helps you pass your time that you would have otherwise wasted on depressing thoughts.
9. Lowers your Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Research has proven that mental stimulation is the only way to prevent age-related neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia. The more a person stimulates their brain with activities like solving a crossword puzzle, the less build-up of diseased toxins they will have in their body.
Solving daily crossword puzzle is a great way to keep your brain functions rejuvenated as well as prevent any future possibilities of any such mental memory disorders.
As solving crosswords boost your memory and concentration, it significantly helps in averting these memory-oriented diseases. No age is too early to take up this beneficial and healthy hobby. You can start at a very young age or in your middle years, it will help you exercise and stimulate your brain in a healthier future. Just solve one crossword puzzle every day and you are good to go.
10. Crosswords are a great way to Relax and Unwind.
In this extremely competitive and aggressive world, our daily lives are filled with personal and professional issues and difficulties. Everyone is stressed, tensed, and strained to their maximum point. Relaxation is crucial for maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle.
But how do you relax and take care of your overworked body? Playing crossword not only lets you unwind your body but also relaxes your mind. Filled with intrigues and enticement, the world of crosswords will force you to let go of all your worries.
The brainstorming session to solve the problems, identify the right clue, and utilize it to get the answer is a great stress booster. You can easily get lost in the beautiful world of crosswords and forget about all your real-life problems.
Some websites even avail crossword games where you can earn real money. What can be more relaxing than sitting back, playing crossword puzzle games, and earning money! It will do wonders for your mental health.
11. Helps You See the Bigger Picture.
Our daily lives are filled with constant struggles and practical problems. Sometimes they can overwhelm you and make you lose the sight of the bigger picture and why you are doing everything. Crossword is a great way to learn and to see the bigger picture.
Sometimes some puzzles refuse to get solved despite how much attention you put on that particular point. Until and unless you focus on the entire problem and see the puzzle in its entirety, you are unable to solve the problem. Once you learn to solve the puzzle in its entirety, you will also be able to see the bigger picture of your life and focus on things that are really important.
After going through all these benefits, you can understand how impactful solving crosswords can be. So, what are you waiting for? Find your favorite crossword and start working on it now!
