How Word Games Like Strands Can Improve Cognitive Performance?

Strands is one of the most popular games among all ages. Whether you are a school kid or a busy professional, everyone loves playing this amazing word puzzle game. The Strands game is not about playing. Behind your mind, many activities take place. 

Word games are a powerful way to exercise the mind. Behind puzzle solving, there is a need to recall memory, attention, and understanding of themed words. The unseen effort develops cognitive ability in humans. 

In this article, we will explore what Strands Unlimited is and how Strands enhance cognitive performance. 

What is the Strands Unlimited Game?

Strands is a popular word puzzle game where players must find words related to a central theme. The theme should appear at the top of the box. The player must stretch the mouse to form possible words. 

Each word you find while playing Strands Unlimited helps you to improve your vocabulary, and finding relevant words among letters gives a sense of accomplishment. It boosts self-esteem, which in turn enhances a person's cognitive abilities. 

How Strands Game Helps in Improving Cognitive Ability?

Strands are helpful for mental performance, enhancing memory, attention, vocabulary, and pattern formation. Let's see in detail how the strands game enhances human cognitive performance.

Strong Memory Recall

A human can retrieve information when they recall previous information more often. With repeated words and stories, they can have a positive impact on long-term memory. 

According to a 2019 study by the Journal of Gerontology Series B, older adults aged 50 and above had better memory compared to those who didn't play word puzzle games.

Improve Focus

Strands game help in sharpening the focus of a person. It improves visual scanning and thematic tracking. In strands, you have to move your eyes around letters to find relevant words, which sharpens the brain to find desired information from a piece of text.

People playing strands are also good at thematic tracking of the text; they can read comprehension, and perform active searches more accurately.

Organic Growth of Vocabulary

Playing strands is one of the best ways to grow vocabulary organically. It is difficult for a person to remember new words. Cramming is not a good option to learn new words. It is a human tendency to learn new information by relating things to already known concepts. 

Since Strands is a theme-based game, all words are related to a particular theme, so there is a link between them. Hence, it is easy to remember words naturally. 

Increase Pattern Recognition

With Strand's play, it is easier to recognise patterns more quickly. Visual puzzles help humans develop visual processing speed as they have to find words from random letters.  The human mind is like a muscle that grows. The more it exercises, the more it will grow. 

Active Mind

Playing games helps keep the mind active. Feeling low or high is a part of human emotion. In a low mood, humans cannot perform well in their personal and professional lives. 

Games have difficulty and challenges to play. When a person solves those challenges, it gives a sense of accomplishment. Lift your mood, thus making your mind active and ready to work more effectively. 

Other Games Apart from Strands to Improve Cognitive Ability

There are not only strands of games that can be opted for to improve cognitive ability. A variety of options are available in both offline and online markets. Word games and math puzzles are the best options for enhancing mental skills. Have a look at each game in detail

Playing Sudoku

Math puzzles, such as Sudoku, are an activity that helps improve cognitive ability. Math puzzles develop mental resilience and patience in humans. Solving a math puzzle requires focus and concentration. It requires considerable effort to arrive at the right solution.

Like in solving Sudoku, you have to retry placing numbers in the correct order several times. It creates resilience in humans through play again and again. 

Connections Game

The Connections game is another beneficial option for developing cognitive skills. In connections, you have to find a common group among four words. As its name suggests, there should be a connection. It could be shades of green colour or objects to make a snowman.

The key is to find that logic behind it. The activity stimulates the brain to think more deeply in a different way. Moreover, before playing the game, a person has to know the meaning of each word. The game benefits cognitive ability in two ways: by building logic and vocabulary development.  

Playing Scrabble 

Scrabble is a word game where you have to form words from a random set of 7 letters. It involves thinking deeply to know the possible words already. 

Memory recall consists of a process that aids both short-term and long-term memory. Playing Scrabble works on word recognition, utilising neural pathways. 

Each word making also involves numbers, thus the player has to think mathematically as well. The brain gets more active while playing Scrabble. 

Play Jigsaw Puzzle

Solving a jigsaw puzzle has long been a fun and popular activity enjoyed by people of all ages. It helps in improving visuospatial cognitive ability. Whether you are making a 1,000-piece Burj Khalifa puzzle or a 100-word flower one, it requires focus and the matching ability of a person.

Do Mental Math

Doing mental math has a positive effect on a person's recognition ability. When we go shopping for groceries, we use a calculator to estimate our total bill or find the price of a product after the sale. Previously, when we didn't have smartphones, we used our brains to do mental math. It is a mentally challenging activity.

Next time, when you go shopping, use your mental math skills to calculate the total price. If you find it very difficult to start with easy numbers, before making a payment, double-check it with a calculator to avoid embarrassment in public.

Importance of Strand Games in Medical Terms

Strands games help enhance a person's cognitive reserve. It is a brain ability to remain agile, solve problems, pick up challenges, and resist brain injury, such as trauma, stroke, or aging. Solving puzzles helps in developing brain resilience. 

In old age, our brain starts to lose cognitive functions, but actively engaging our mind in different brain activities keeps it healthy and well-sound. 

Brain neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to form and reorganise neural connections. These neutral connections are responsible for acquiring new skills, creating memories, and adapting to new information. 

Anyone who plays word puzzles like Strands will likely develop better cognitive skills at an older age. While playing Scrabble, one must recall their memory and find words from random letters, which helps improve the cognitive function of the brain. Thus preventing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Dementia. 

Conclusion

Word games like Strands help individuals improve their cognitive abilities, including theme recognition, letter mapping, and recalling words from memory. It is like a mini workout that you can incorporate into your daily activity. 

Other gaming activities, such as playing jigsaw puzzles, Scrabble, and the Connections game, aid in improving a person's cognitive performance. 

With mental activities, a person can prevent themselves from old age diseases like dementia. Puzzle solving helps humans in their mental development and enhances cognitive abilities.