Wordle, Mini, Connections, Spelling Bee, Crossword, Letter Boxed. I have to do them all. This past weekend I hit one month of doing all of these puzzles daily (I didn’t get Genius on some of the Spelling Bee’s). These puzzles are all word puzzles provided by NYT and they get to be really tricky. They challenge me and have forced me to expand my vocabulary. This semester I have been doing a lot more writing, which makes it even more important for me to start the day off working on these skills. However, besides the mental stimulation, I also have come to love my NYT puzzle craze because of how it has allowed me to connect with friends and also strengthen my habits.
With every time that I complete a puzzle, I send a score or the amount of time it took me to complete it to my friends. We try to challenge each other, and we are there to laugh with each other when none of us are able to discern the painfully obvious answers. This has increased my connections with friends. Now, sometimes we work on the big crosswords together, specifically the ones that are posted towards the end of the week as those are much more difficult. I love problem solving with my friends and bouncing ideas off each other. It doesn’t always work but when it does it feels really special. Coming together to solve problems is a virtue that we have, and I recommend putting this trait into practice over silly little word games.
Additionally, I like starting my morning off with them with a nice cup of coffee to wake up my brain for the rest of the day. Doing puzzles in the morning, helps me get in the mood to work. It feels like if I am awake enough to solve the puzzles, I am awake enough to solve some thermodynamics problems in class. Doing this so frequently has really hammered it into my routine and helps me stick to the rest of the routine better. I find myself now waking up earlier to solve the puzzles giving me time to actually cook breakfast instead of running out the door with a half-toasted bagel and an uneven shmear of cream cheese. I would say that one of my weakest traits is my ability to stick to routines, but the incentive of keeping a streak and the endorphin rush of completing a puzzle are too alluring for me to skip a day.
Hey Alejandro,
I really relate to this blog post IMMENSELY. Incorporating the NYT Daily Puzzles into my everyday life has really made an impact on my productivity and overall mood. Doing the NYT Mini Crossword, specifically, has helped me to get my brain ready and functioning in the mornings and has helped me adapt to sticking to a routine. I also have found it is a great way to bond with friends during classes. It is my goal one day to be able to afford a full subscription to unlock that big crossword but till then, I will be enjoying the mini games!
Hi Alejandro!
I am definitely also addicted to doing all of these daily. It’s such a great way to connect with friends, and also challenge yourself with various puzzles. I like to see if I can beat the WordleBot on Hard Mode, which is usually a failed task (but is always a valiant effort).
I agree with what you said about sipping coffee / tea whilst doing these in order to wake up my brain and mentally prepare myself for the rest of my day. Hopefully the NYT continues to do these puzzles for the next few decades, so they can serve as brainteasers to stay sharp as we get older.
–Cam
Hi Alejandro! I can relate to you in saying these puzzles bring you joy. I started getting into these this year because of my friends on campus. You are much more consistent than me, but I try my best to play as often as I can. I can also say I have noticed an improvement in my vocabulary from when I do play. My favorite would have to be Connections; it really requires more brain work, so this one is the most thrilling to me!