Is the 'focus' on the daily Wordle bad for our/my mental health?
After years of playing the New York Times Wordle, the word puzzle's mind distraction has really come into ''FOCUS'
The New York Times' free game wI've mentioned one of my major focused distractions before. It's something that's part of my daily routine — something that adds to my screen time each week.
here you get six chances to discover a five-letter word is something I've mentioned in posts not once, not twice, but now thrice.
The daily Wordle is a quick brain teaser that my wife and I both do and share our results with one another. I see it as something that helps get my brain going each day while connecting to my spouse. But could it actually be something that's distracting me from doing the task at hand?
Is Wordle a mental health problem?
Back when the game was more popular in 2024, The Daily Beast published "Shrinks Think New York Times' Wordle Is Becoming a Problem." The article led to other publications like The Independent seeking input from a psychiatrist focused on internet and gaming addiction.
The Daily Beast reportedly summed up that Wordle is "actually making us crazy." The therapists told the publication about how some patients are admitting to how much time they are spending "Wordling" (is that a word?) and using other NYT games like Connections — oh no, I recently started playing that too — and how all that game time is messing with their moods.
"Technology today is essentially a shortcut to everything and our brains can't resist that. And the shortcut to a sense of accomplishment while playing one of these online games releases dopamine into the brain. Seeking dopamine release could lead to compulsive and sometimes problematic behaviors," psychiatrist Dr. Clifford Sussman told The Daily Beast.
Is that why I find myself laboring to play Wordle while lying in bed on nights when I forgot to play earlier in the day? Maybe it’s my desire to keep my "Current Streak" of completed puzzles going.
The NYT is giving it to me for free, but with an ad before I get to the game board, I’m at least paying for it with my time and attention.
That brings me to the five-letter word dropped into the Wordleverse on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026: Focus! (No spoiler here, as you have to complete the puzzle in a 24-hour period or else you won’t be able to go back and solve it.)
That’s right, after completing more than 1,600 Wordle puzzles over the past four and a half years, No Distractions came into full focus with one five-letter answer.
It got me to think about my relationship with the daily routine of Wordle. Am I thinking about it beyond even the time I’m actively seeking the answer? Could that be impacting my mental wellbeing?
"For some of the people who have a bit higher levels of anxiety, not being able to complete it obviously brings some sort of sense of disappointment that you couldn’t complete the puzzle," Thriveworks therapist Hallie Kritsas told The Independent. "And then if you think that, [it becomes]: 'Okay, I wasn’t able to figure out the Wordle, what’s wrong with me?'"
I have at times questioned why a given Wordle was giving me so much trouble on any given day, but I have never found anxiety in it. I have never even mentioned Wordle to my therapist.
Luckily, Kritsas—who avidly plays Wordle herself—had some insight for word gamers like me:
"I do think it’s a great thing to utilize at any point of the day, especially in the morning, to get our brains up and running, but if it’s going to be harmful we probably shouldn’t be playing it."
Good, so my intention is in the right place… I’m getting my brain going.
That doesn’t mean, however, that I don't find it a bit distracting/annoying to miss the answer. In that case, I (and others) should take the advice of the Jan. 4, 2025 and Nov. 16, 2021 Wordle answers and remember this distraction is supposed to be fun.
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