- The game “Wordle” has become very popular on social networks.
- “Wordle” is a word game in which people must guess a five-letter word in six tries.
- Experts say that games like “Wordle” are great for brain health.
- In addition, they can help improve people’s mood when they feel depressed.
- Other activities, such as physical exercise and socializing, can also help maintain cognitive health.
Even if you haven’t playedWord”, you have probably seen the distinctive green, yellow and white blocks that accompany your scores appearing in your social media feed.
However, if you’ve been resisting jumping on the “Wordle” bandwagon, you may want to reconsider.
Experts say that games like this are a great way to give your brain a daily workout and are great for your cognitive health.
They can also help improve your mood.
For the uninitiated, “Wordle” is a word game that presents you with six empty rows of five blocks. For each turn, you must guess which five-letter word fills the blocks. If you get the letter and its location correct, it is displayed in green.
If you get the correct letter but its placement is wrong, it turns yellow.
Incorrect letters are grey.
For the next row of blocks, you need to take what you learned on your first try and make another guess.
The goal of “Wordle” is simple: you must guess what the word is before you run out of rows, ideally in as few tries as possible.
The game gives you one new word per day. And, if that’s not enough for you, there are also several imitators, such as “Absurd” Y “hello word.”
According to Dr Douglas Scharreneurologist and director of the Center for Memory and Cognitive Disorders at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, solving a daily crossword puzzle or playing a word game like “Wordle” is great for brain health.
“It’s important to challenge yourself with new problem-solving exercises,” Scharre said.
“Puzzles and games, especially those that involve novelty, can stimulate and challenge key parts of the brain, including reasoning, language, logic, visual perception, attention and flexibility,” he said.
Scharre noted that it’s also a great way to help prevent a decline in your cognitive health as you age.
He said that the sharpness of a person’s cognitive abilities falls into the “use it or lose it” category, and that most cognitive scientists believe that the more you exercise your brain, the healthier it will be.
“Using the brain in any way is thought to create new connections between nerve cells in the brain,” he explained. “This increases your brain reserve, so to speak.”
Scharre further noted that playing games like “Wordle” would likely help anyone who has cognitive problems, whether from head trauma, stroke, sleep apnea or other conditions that affect the ability to think.
Ulrico Mayr, DrPhil, is the Robert and Beverly Lewis Professor in Neuroscience at the University of Oregon. He is also an expert on the aging of the mind and brain, and the changes in psychological functioning throughout human life.
He told Healthline that anyone who feels down and enjoys activities like word games can benefit from playing “Wordle.”
“Any activity that is fun [and] participating … is good for us,” he said, “particularly when compared to alternatives, like passively watching TV or dealing with worrying thoughts about the pandemic or other issues.”
Mayr noted that the social component of “Wordle” is another positive attribute of the game, as social connections are known to promote health and thinking ability.
“In times of crisis, it’s hard to have social connections that aren’t dominated by negative thoughts and issues,” he said.
“Therefore, a fun joint activity can provide a vehicle to reestablish positive connections that are not tainted by the negativity and stress around us,” Mayr said.
However, if you really don’t like puns, there are other activities you can do that can provide the same health benefits.
“The biggest is physical exercise,” Mayr said, “which shows the most consistent (albeit still small) positive effects on cognitive functioning.”
“There is also evidence that maintaining complex and purposeful activities after retirement is a critical factor in maintaining cognitive functioning,” he added.
Scharre supported the idea of physical exercise, adding that socializing is also a great way to stimulate the brain.
Additionally, Scharre said that other brain teasers, games, problem-solving activities, dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, and sports can give your brain the challenge it needs.
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