There are two different definitions of the term “mind games.” The first would be psychological games that manipulative people play to gain control of other people, and the second would be games that improve brain function. For the purpose of this article, we will be looking at why people play mind games in the second context, and why they are worth playing.
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What Are the Benefits of Mind Games?
Mind games or brain games are games that give our brains a workout. They improve our memory, puzzle-solving and planning skills, our ability to pay attention, and processing speed. The brain works like a muscle, and when we exercise it, our information processing gets faster and better. When we play brain games, we get a hit of dopamine, which improves our mood and gives us the confidence we need to take on other challenges.
Improve Puzzle-Solving Skills
Puzzle-solving helps our brain connect existing information to answer questions we have in front of us. Games like jigsaw puzzles improve our visual-spatial reasoning. In simpler terms, we’ll be able to look at each puzzle piece and figure out how it fits into the big picture. In real life, this improves our ability to read maps and follow a recipe. Solving puzzles also boost our attention span.
Games like sudoku and crossword puzzles help us figure out better and faster ways to solve a problem. Regardless of whether puzzles improve cognitive performance or delay or prevent dementia in later years, they help with our attention, thinking, and reasoning abilities.
Build Short-Term Memory
Memory games help our short-term memory. A simple game as Concentration, where cards are placed face-down and flipped over in pairs to find a match for every card, works wonders for our memory. The act of storing the locations of cards in our brain and then retrieving them later trains us to better remember things like where we last left our keys, for example.
A fun game to play that will improve short-term memory is by putting together a shopping list, and then trying to memorize it by using “peg words “, a mnemonic device to store words in certain positions to be recalled later. You might even be able to get your shopping done without the need for a physical shopping list!
Better Reaction Times and Processing Speed
Are video games like God of War and Call of Duty mind games? They might not seem like brain games in the traditional sense, but they improve our reaction times and processing speed. It is very easy to see how this can be beneficial in our day-to-day lives. The faster we can react and swerve out of the way when we see a truck coming at us, the higher our chance of preventing an accident from happening.
You’ve probably heard of Spot It, a game in which players aim to recognize matching patterns on cards. It’s an addictive game that tests our focus, processing speed, and visual attention. https://kodybonusowe.net/
Enhance Planning Skills
If you’ve ever played poker, you’ll understand how the term “poker face” came about. Being able to control your emotions and physical reactions to manipulate what other players do is very complex. Poker also trains your concentration, patience, and planning skills. Every decision you make in a poker game influences the actions of other players. If you are conducting business with someone, all these skills will come into play and help you make better decisions. Unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with a good poker face. Fortunately, we have other casino games to fall back on, like roulette or slots. To improve your chances of winning at slots, check out the VideoSlots bonuses via the GoodLuckMate website.
Feeling Good
When we play mind games, we feel sharper and more focused. We learn to look at things from different angles, which gives us new ways to solve problems. It doesn’t matter if we are 8 or 80 years of age – we naturally feel good when we solve problems. Mind games give us this uplifting feeling of figuring something out. Forget brain function, this happiness in itself is reason enough to play mind games.
