People of all ages have now incorporated the Wordle game into their daily routine, but is figuring out this mysterious five-letter word just a fun craze? Or is it also a beneficial activity for your brain?
Henry Mahncke, neuroscientist and CEO of Brain HQ, told News4 Wordle that it might not do much to improve your long-term cognitive function.
“I play, my wife plays, my daughter plays. Like you, we all got sucked in one by one,” Mahncke said.
His company Brain HQ studies how the brain rewires itself through learning and training.
“Your brain isn’t really pushed to go faster,” Mahncke said of Wordle. “Most people use tips and tricks to get better.”
He said Wordle is similar to crossword puzzles because it doesn’t do anything to improve your speed or cognitive function.
“If there’s one thing the brain really craves, you know, it craves novelty. It craves change. It craves learning actually,” Mahncke said.
He said that as soon as you start using tricks and strategies to solve the puzzle, you take away the potential benefits on your brain.
For long-term brain health, Mahncke recommends practicing better sleep habits and eating more balanced meals instead.
“Exercise, good nutrition, sleep, social contact and new learning – it keeps us fast so we can keep this brain as a healthy organ,” Mahncke said.
He said the key is to keep challenging yourself in new ways.
“We increasingly see the brain as an organ of the body that needs to be taken care of in the same way that we take care of our heart with exercise and diet,” Mahncke said.
When it comes to brain health, Mahncke said it’s never too late to learn something new and rewire your brain with healthy habits and activities.
“Try all kinds of new games that might stimulate your brain, go out for walks and discover new places, explore new routes to work and to your favorite restaurants. All of these things stimulate learning in this way,” said he declared.