I love sending out this weekly email with a little tip.
Something you can try that might make things a bit more sunny in your head.
This week’s tip is one of those things you might think has nothing to do with improving your mood… but bear with me!
This week we’re talking about brain games.
I’ve discovered there are several daily games on LinkedIn, and I really enjoy doing them as an alternative to scrolling on my phone.
Crossclimb (I’m on a 299 day streak…)
Zip
Tango
Queens
Pinpoint
And they come live at 8am,
So quick quizzes, and wins, to start the day with my morning coffee.
I also enjoy Minute Cryptic – a daily cryptic clue to solve.
Games and quizzes are good fun – and it’s definitely a boost to the old ego when you get something right or complete a level…
But they also have other benefits.
Doing puzzles and games daily can help to improve our memory and cognitive flexibility.
As well as this, once you get to around your mid-forties, your brain and cognitive abilities begin to decline.
It might not be noticeable for a couple of decades – but it can actually begin as early as your thirties.
It really does become a case of “use it or lose it” – and puzzles and games are a great way of challenging the old grey matter.
We do physical exercise to keep our bodies healthy; mental games help to keep our brains on the ball.
Brain health is important as we age, and doing daily puzzles is a fun way of working on that.
As well as that, doing daily puzzles has the added benefit of helping with things like stress reduction and hand-eye coordination.
It can also help to improve our mood and give us a sense of accomplishment.
I know I get a little buzz when I manage to guess the cryptic clue or complete a puzzle. Some of them are really difficult!
Over time I’ve seen an improvement in my ability to do these puzzles –
This boosts my mood but is also (hopefully) showing that my brain is still pretty healthy!
Try it today – search your LinkedIn app for the games below and have a go…
As always, let me know how you get on!