Not All Brain Games Are Equal

Why the words in your puzzles matter as much as the puzzles themselves

My mother loves crossword puzzles. Even during her toughest days recovering from breast cancer at 70, she’d sit each morning and work through the clues. I used to think it was just her way of finding a moment of normalcy. Years later, I learned she was doing something far more powerful—she was literally rewiring her brain.

What’s Really Happening to Your Brain as You Age

Let’s talk honestly about what happens to our brains as we get older. No sugar-coating, but also no doom and gloom.

Here’s the truth: certain cognitive abilities do decline with age. Processing speed slows down. Working memory—that mental scratch pad you use to hold information temporarily—becomes a bit less efficient. The ability to quickly recall that actor’s name or where you put your keys can feel frustratingly elusive.

This isn’t your imagination, and it’s not a sign of impending dementia. It’s normal aging. Research from the University of Texas shows that core cognitive abilities like speed of processing, working me…