Why Word Games are Good for Your Mind and Health
Did you know word games can be traced back to as early as the Ancient Egyptians? These days, the most popular word games out there include:
- Scrabble
- Words With Friends
- Boggle
- Wordscapes
They’re super popular. In fact, popular app Words With Friends boasts over 170 million users!
But did you know they’re also good for your mind and health? Here’s how:
Memory
- Word games help to build up cognitive reserve (resistance to damage) in the brain
- They stimulate areas of the brain that deal with both short term and long term memory
- They spark your brain cells into creating new relationships AND reinforce previously established relationships
- This has been shown to improve your long term memory
Academia
Word games can even make you a better student by helping to make your brain work better and faster.
They help to improve your brain’s:
- Executive functions
- Memory
- Attention
- Processing speed
Learning a Language
Research shows that word games can be highly beneficial when learning a new language. They do this by:
- Creating a distractions from monotonous classroom learning
- Lowering anxiety and injecting fun into the learning experience
- Expanding vocabulary
- Encouraging more spontaneous and creative use of the language
Increased Concentration
Apart from the fact that they require natural concentration, word games improve your overall concentration as they have been shown to improve:
- Processing speed
- Planning skills
- Reaction time
- Decision making
- Decision making
Stress relief
Research shows that word games (and other board games) help to reduce anxiety and stress in adults by helping them with:
- Relaxation
- Stress relief
- Mental balance
For many who suffer with anxiety, it does this by helping us to:
- Relinquish the need for control
- Facing the unknown
- Doing so in a social manner
So, it’s time to break out the Scrabble! Want to find some high scoring words for your word games? Don’t forget to try our unscrambler.