Most of us have heard that reading, even for a little bit, daily, offers many benefits. In addition to keeping the mind sharp, reading can also help increase focus, lower stress and improve quality of sleep. However, as college students, it can often be hard for us to find time in the day to read for pleasure.
In high school, I was an enthusiastic reader, averaging about 50 books per year. Since starting college, this number has dwindled to a book or two per year, since it has been difficult for me to find the time (or energy) to read for more than ten minutes a day. This is the case for many former bookworms who come to college and realize they cannot fit their usual reading schedule into their more rigorous college workload.
As students, we challenge our minds every day with various assignments, or studying if you are an unfortunately stressed-out STEM major. However, many non-humanities majors rarely have to read long passages (or just choose not to) for their classes, meaning that they are missing out on the benefits that reading offers.
This past year, I have been looking for ways to stay mentally sharp that are not as time-consuming or mentally draining as reading can be for busy college students. Recently, I’ve re-discovered logic puzzles, which have helped me to give my mind a much-needed workout.
Adding these games to one’s routine can have similar benefits to reading. In general, games and puzzles make you use cognitive skills such as critical thinking, deductive reasoning and strategy, as well as helping to improve focus and memory. A study conducted in 2022 also concluded that puzzles can help reduce and control stress.
Here are a few different types of online logic puzzles/games I have found that might be useful to you if you want to give your brain a non-academically related challenge. While I am not suggesting that playing these games should replace reading, they offer some similar benefits that may help people with busy schedules find time to challenge their minds.
NYT Games
Throughout this past semester, I have become re-obsessed with the New York Times games. While I have been a casual Wordle player for a few years now, it has recently become a goal of mine to do every free NYT games game each day, especially the Sudoku (my personal favorite). Since starting up these games again, I have especially noticed a difference in how long it takes me to complete them, particularly Sudoku, and that I do not need as many hints to complete these puzzles.
Although playing these games can potentially have benefits for some people, they obviously do not work for everyone. If you are someone who finds these types of games to be irritating or not fun in general, the NYT games are probably not the hobby for you.
Brain-training Apps
Brain-training apps offer a variety of logic games that are designed to improve problem-solving skills, memory and focus. These apps also often include daily challenges in order to incentivize more competitive individuals to keep challenging themselves. Some of the most popular brain-training apps include Lumosity, Elevate and Peak-Brain.
Game Pigeon (Specific Games)
Even though Game Pigeon has mostly been a tool used by students (myself included) to entertain themselves during boring lectures, certain games can offer some benefits for sharpening the mind. The game Sea Battle, specifically, which is based on Battleship, is a strategy game that requires players to use deductive reasoning. Game Pigeon also includes other strategy-based games such as Chess and Checkers, as well as Anagrams and Word Bites, which can help expand vocabulary and improve spelling.
Although nothing can replace the feel of a book in your hand and the benefits that reading gives you, these games are an easy way to fit a brain challenge into your busy schedule. If you are a former bookworm looking for a convenient way to stay mentally sharp, I hope these resources give you some examples of how to benefit your brain.