Brain Games to Improve Your Memory
To get the most out of your courses, retention is important. However, exercising your brain is a little more complicated than
exercising your body. There are several games geared towards improving memory function, and these games are simple,
but not easy. From the few of the popular ones here, let us begin with a game that can be made by only breaking up a
picture.
Jigsaw puzzles
The speciality of jigsaw puzzles is that they force you to use both hemispheres of your brain. They load on your short-term
memory and working memory as you sort through multiple pieces of different shapes. The more parts you have, the harder it
is to think. Sometimes they result in sheer confusion when several pieces look similar. Moreover, when you finally put the
right part in the right place, your brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter crucial for concentration.
Crossword puzzles
This classic game can even delay the beginning of Alzheimer's disease. It requires you to recollect information in a
randomized manner, forcing you to memorize everything. This type of exercise is typical brain fodder, more so to improve
memory. Crossword puzzles are also widely used while learning new languages because they help embed new vocabulary
in your speech.
Chess
This game's purpose is to be intellectually stimulating and intensive. The game of chess might seem strategic initially, but
the learning approach is much more than that. Learning chess requires you to learn, and remember patterns of moves and
predict your next move accordingly. This exercise draws on many parts of your brain, including long term memory.
Sudoku
Sudoku places a lot of load on memory and analysis. You are required to remember a range of numbers as the game
progresses, and it is harder than it seems. It majorly on working memory, which is crucial for multitasking in daily life. More
complex levels require creative thinking and problem-solving skills, thus exercising different parts of your brain
simultaneously.
Rebus puzzles
Rebus puzzles are a mashup of letters, numbers, pictures and symbols giving way to the solution. You have to analyze all
the elements simultaneously, training your working memory to multitask. Some knowledge of cliches and expressions is also
needed, so you will have to recall things outside the game too. This game is a popular brain exercise to do in your free time.
Concentration
The name itself gives away its purpose but does not do full justice to its nature. All you have to do is match sets of cards
after you flip them, but it becomes hard as the number of cards increase. You can also try a messy arrangement of cards to
make it hard to recall. It helps children develop memory and retention skills. There is hardly any trick to being better at the
game except practice, which in turn will improve your memory.
These brain games have been around for a long time, mainly due to their simple nature. It is also easy to improvise these
games - as an instance, you have to choose a bigger image to make a jigsaw puzzle complicated. The computerized
versions of these games draw more elements into them and make them even intriguing. There are other equally stimulating
games, but they are not as simple, or flexible as these above.