Escape rooms are fun, challenging ways to spend an afternoon. They’re filled with inventive puzzles, from code cracking games to brain teasing riddles. But did you know that all of those puzzles are actually good for your brain? Solving puzzles can boost your memory, improve your problem solving skills, and more. Thanks to the variety of activities in an escape room, you can give your brain a workout without feeling like you’re breaking a sweat.
Benefits Of Solving Puzzles
Here are some of the benefits you can see over time from solving puzzles like those found in your favorite room.
Memory Improvement
In an escape room, not everything is always as it seems. The puzzle you solved at the beginning of the room may actually impact the solution to the last one, and remembering those connections can help you make it out in time. With practice, your brain will learn to retain these details for longer periods of time. You’ll begin to instantly recognize the value of remembering small details, which can help you keep track of information at work and other important details in your daily life.
Better Problem Solving Skills
Escape rooms ask you to think through complex problems that often require you to go through multiple steps before you’re given the solution. They also encourage players to take in as much information, much of which may not seem to relate, as possible in order to discover clues. This means you’ll need to think critically and harness your problem solving skills to find solutions. Outside of the escape room, problem solving abilities can help you evaluate difficult situations and come up with reasonable solutions more quickly.
Visual and Spatial Reasoning Boost
All of the props, furniture, paintings, and other decorations in an escape room can hold valuable information about the solutions to puzzles. It’s therefore important to use your eyes and pay attention to small details, like repeated patterns on the walls or books that can be taken off of shelves. Knowing what can be moved and where you can move it not only improves your chances of making it out of the room in time, it also helps with daily activities like driving, playing sports, and maintaining organized workspaces.
Delaying Dementia
Like any kind of exercise, stretching your brain can improve your health. Some studies have shown that it can effectively reduce the risk of developing dementia. Tackling puzzles may build reserves of healthy brain cells and connections between them, improving cognitive function and reducing mental decline in the process. Many puzzle-type activities, such as escape rooms, learning a new language, and playing board games, also contain a social element that improves your mood and further contributes to a healthier mind.
Decreased Stress
Racing to finish an escape room in an hour may not seem relaxing, but in reality, solving puzzles can help you do just that. They can distract you from everyday chores by giving your brain something else to think about for a set period of time, leaving you refreshed and ready to take on your next challenge. In an escape room, you’ll have the added bonus of working off some extra energy thanks to the time crunch at hand, helping you focus on what the rest of your day holds.
Increased Productivity
Escape rooms are a team activity, meaning that you’ll have to resolve conflicts, communicate clearly, and organize information that each team member uncovers — all within a set period of time. Learning to use these skills effectively can increase your productivity over time. You’ll be able to assess a situation, then make and enact a plan more quickly, allowing you to quickly finish off your to do list at home and at work. You’ll also be challenged to think more creatively, allowing you to consider new solutions that may help you stay focused on the task at hand rather than repeat old, more time consuming solutions.
Sharpen Your Mind at Room Escape Fairfax
Visit Room Escape Fairfax for a fun mental workout. The facility houses 11 unforgettable escape rooms with themes that put you in the middle of a horror film, ask you to save the White House, and repair a spaceship, among other exciting adventures. In each room, you’ll find professional props and sets that immerse you in the story. You’ll also find a variety of challenging puzzles that must be solved within 60 minutes to successfully make your escape. Whether you’re looking for a memorable date night or a unique company outing, Room Escape Fairfax will give you an experience unlike any other.