Our brains are amazing, but sometimes a huge disappointment to us. Have you ever forgotten someone’s name? Missed your turn-off? Walked upstairs but can’t remember why? It’s these kinds of short circuits that appear innocuous but are actually a sign that you need a cerebrum workout.
There are a few general good habits that can keep your brain in tip-top shape and these are the usual healthy lifestyle choices involving physical exercise and a good diet. Other factors that are less obvious in giving your grey matter a boost are adding variety to your activities, socializing more, volunteering and learning a new language.
All good options, but probably the number one option to sharpen your cerebral matter is to actually engage in games that really challenge your intellect and help create new connections between different parts of the brain. Here then are the top games that may have you scratching your head, but will undoubtedly be good for your brain.
(CC BY-SA 2.0) by Jeff Kubina
Slots Games
Sensory overstimulation is bad for your brain and today’s’ modern cities can bombard you with sounds, lights, images, vibrations, odors and a multitude of other stimuli that can cause your brain’s filters to go into overdrive or simply stop working as they should. We’re simply receiving too much information for us to be functional in these environments and this can sometimes trigger a fight-or-flight response or result in increased anxiety.
The way to combat this is through frequent exposure to overstimulation on your own terms and there is nothing like online slots with their flashing lights, spinning icons, unexpected audios and surprise mini-games to provide you with a regular morsel of overstimulation to keep your brain operational. Games such as Fruit Machine and Cat & Mouse are available on the slots deposit by phone bill site mFortune, making it simple to indulge in some overstimulation whenever you feel the need and not let your brain become inoperative in today’s modern world.
“doodz” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by kirinqueen
Strategy Games
Strategy games have always been a prevalent genre of video game, with Civilisation being acknowledged as one of the greatest games of all time by Time magazine. Strategy games have now evolved to become massively popular online and titles such as Starcraft have huge followings of fans totally devoted to the franchise. Luckily for them, these types of games are great for stimulating brain activity as they require you to constantly be using your intellect for planning purposes and often adjusting and modifying your plans based on real-time events.
The ability to manage the limited resources available to you, to plot the logistics of your battles and to make a quick analysis of situations and respond accordingly are all skills required in strategy games and contribute greatly to cognitive development as well as having real-world applications. You don’t even, need to join the masses online to get the benefits as the classic board games Risk, Axis & Allies and even Backgammon can provide the same brain benefits.
“Cut the Rope Experiments” (CC BY 2.0) by topgold
Puzzle Games
The obvious addition and a mammoth game genre is, of course, puzzle games. These games have become more prevalent with the advent of the smartphone as people are able to easily dip into the games during spare pockets of time, ruminate or reflect on the level that has them stumped and return at a later time with the solution to level up and get a jolt of accomplishment. People playing games such as Cut the Rope, Candy Crush Saga and Where’s my Water? are common on every commute and lunch break around the world and other titles are ready to share in the triumph and continue our obsession with puzzle games.
Succeeding in puzzle games is indisputably good for your brain as they involve logical thinking, pattern recognition, working under time limits, manipulating objects and overcoming obstacles – all good challenges for your grey stuff. There are of course many non-digital puzzle games like Sudoku and the humble crossword, but your options are vastly more varied playing through a device and many incorporate a social function that is also advantageous.
Most of us would think about putting down the doughnuts and doing some exercise if we found ourselves out of breath after climbing a few steps, and the same is true of our brains. Don’t wait till your brain starts to feel defective. Start playing some brain games now – whether it’s simulation games, slots or puzzle titles – and your cerebrum will reward you with enduring quality of life.
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