10 Good Reasons To Do Puzzles

At Crosswords for Fun our primary aim is to promote the numerous benefits that puzzles provide to all aspects of our everyday lives, whether it be health and well-being, education or simply just having fun and relaxing.

1.  Great for vocabulary

Whether you are learning a new language or trying to improve your own, crosswords and codewords are a great source of new words.  The clues tell you much about how the word is to be used, too.

2.  Great for spelling

Particularly for children but for adults as well, crosswords and codewords force you to get the spelling right.  If it isn't, the word won't fit into the squares or won't let the connecting words make sense.

3.  Reduces tension

There is nothing like time out to do a puzzle to let you totally relax.  Do a crossword puzzle and feel the peace descend.

4.  Eases anxiety

Focusing your attention on a crossword or another type of puzzle can help you to keep anxiety at bay or at least to take the edge off it.  Concentrating on fact and data will help keep your emotional side under control.

5.  Pure fun

What else do we need to say?  Do them alone or do them in groups.  Run competitions.  Have crossword clubs.  Just enjoy yourself!

6.  Wards off dementia

Doing crosswords and other puzzles on a regular basis is known to have an effect on warding off dementia.  An active brain is much healthier and less likely to be affected by the disease.

7.  Improves performance at work

A brain that is active and stimulated by puzzles is a brain that will function well at work.  The better your brain works in one area the more likely it is to spill over into different areas of your life.  Your thinking will be more clear and much faster than it was.

8.  Uses different forms of thinking for different types of crossword

There are different types of crossword and they each require you to think differently.  A standard crossword makes you think of a word and how it is spelt.  Cryptic crosswords require you to use your logical thinking skills to decrypt the clue before you can think about how to spell it! Codewords allow you to focus on your knowledge of the English language and see the logic in the numerical patterns to crack the code.

9.  Gives you a successful experience

Doesn't it feel fantastic when you complete a crossword?  It gives me a good feeling for the whole day.  I am ready to challenge myself again in the next puzzle.   Puzzlers who can see that they are getting better with each attempt will be more likely to keep at it until they complete the whole puzzle. 

10.  Lets you monitor your brain function.

Regular puzzlers will tell you that they can see how their brain is working over a period of time.  They can see improvements by looking at the level of crossword they are doing, the rate of success they are having and the speed at which they can work.   They can see the patterns of their progress in a way that they couldn't in day to day life.