From Cleveland Clinic
From now through the end of May, hundreds of Northeast Ohio older adults are competing in The Mind Challenge, a team trivia competition among recreation and senior centers. The competition is friendly but fierce; winning teams take home money for their sponsoring organizations.
The Mind Challenge organizers Art Greenberg and Phil Levine were on to something when they started the free competition eight years ago; the number of cities and teams has exploded. A Cleveland Clinic psychologist tells us that not only is trivia fun, it’s great for our brains, too.
“Playing trivia is like a workout to your brain. It helps to strengthen your memory, sharpen your focus and boost your mental health. Each time you answer a question correctly, it taps directly into the memory center of the brain and creates a release of dopamine, that feel-good chemical in the brain. This is why you may feel a rush when you get an answer correct,” says Susan Albers, PsyD, psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Albers says playing trivia can also foster a social connection; it creates laugher, discussion, competition and teamwork. Not to mention, it can improve your self-esteem. You may feel more confident after answering a question correctly.
You can find lots of ways to play trivia: games with friends at home, at a local bar and through apps. But what if you’re not the best with trivia? Dr. Albers says that’s okay, you can still reap many of the same benefits.
“Play trivia to engage your brain and to connect with others, not just to win. When you shift your mindset to focusing on the experience, not just the outcome, it helps to maximize the benefits of mental health and to increase your enjoyment of the game,” she says.
One option is to help make the question, Dr. Albers says. Then you get to pick a topic you like and you can learn more about it, as well.
