Benefits of Puzzles and Mind-Teasers
Mental health is not related to merely treating mental health problems or understanding mental disorders. It also means ensuring that we stay mentally fit just as we take all steps to stay physically fit.
Research has shown for some time now that playing puzzles and mind-teasers helps a great deal in keeping the brain active and ensuring mental health. Challenging our brain regularly with activities that stimulate our brain keeps it ever alert on a day-to-day basis. They also provide long-term benefits such as warding off diseases that normally affect us in old age, like Dementia and Alzheimer.
Most of us are aware that we need to exercise our body regularly to keep it physically fit. Each one us chooses an activity that we enjoy – some of us prefer swimming, some jogging or just walking everyday to reduce our weight or to just tone our muscles. In a similar way, puzzles and mind teasers are developed such that they challenge our mental faculties to the limit and we have to really think deep and hard to solve them. This keeps our brain active and our mind healthy.
Most mind fitness puzzles and mind games are being designed and developed for all ages. Children should be encouraged to take up these games and puzzles as they can serve as excellent brain training exercises. By taking up this activity from a young age, one can ensure that their mind stays healthy and fit.
Of course, there are a variety of puzzles and mind teasers, divided into different categories based on the kind of skills that they require the player to have. Some require excellent processing speed while some lay emphasis on memory. Some games are good for players with the ability to quickly grasp and retrieve visual information.
We will now try to understand exactly how games and mind teasers help improve the brain’s cognitive function. Studies have shown that playing mind puzzles and brainteasers help increase the flow of blood into the brain. When there is more flow of blood to the brain, the supply of oxygen to the organ is more and thereby the organ performs to its optimal capacity. Greater blood flow also means that positive chemical changes take place inside the brain which helps the brain to function better.
By now, you might be very keen to understand what mind fitness puzzles and brain teasers can help you the best. There are traditional ones like crossword puzzles, Scrabble and Sudoku, which you could simply play with a paper and pen. However, if you are ready for a real challenge, you can try looking at online puzzles and mind teasers. You do not necessarily need a computer to play these games – you can easily download them onto your mobile devices or even your play station and play them wherever you want, in your leisure time. Some popular online games are Lost in Migration, Raindrops and Memory Match.
Try to take up playing these games whenever you can and you will see that very soon you will have the ability to think more quickly, recall visual patterns immediately and more importantly, you will develop the ability to take decisions quickly.