3 Ways Puzzles Are Good For Mental Health
Photo by Bianca Ackermann via Unsplash.
Meditate with a puzzle? Yup. During these days of staying home, we’re all looking for ways to positively pass the time; but also to de-stress. Solving things — jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, mini murder mysteries, board games — is one of the ways we are whiling away time.
It’s rewarding to accomplish something like completing a 1000 piece puzzle and to feel a sense of control in chaotic times, sure. More importantly, though, puzzles help us find a sense of calm. Keep reading to find out how puzzles actually see the same benefits as meditation.
1 - Puzzles are Calming
According to Dr. Michelle McCoy Barrett, a licensed clinical psychologist, "Puzzles are more than just a way to pass the time. Particularly during periods of high stress, becoming immersed in a puzzle can be like practicing a mindful meditation — relaxing your mind and body, decreasing stress, and even slowing your heart rate and lowering your blood pressure." Incredible, right?
Both the sense of control, no matter how small, and the meditative quality of puzzle making calm the mind by helping us get lost in time. Being positively “distracted” helps us combat stress. This type of calming can happen with other activities such as colouring, reading, mindfully walking in nature, watching reruns of our favourite sitcoms, knitting or playing an instrument. So, no matter your interest, focus on finding what helps you feel calmer during this time of life.
2 - Puzzles Keep Our Minds Healthy
Studies have shown that jigsaw puzzles and other mind-flexing activities (as mentioned above) can lead to a longer life expectancy, a better quality of life, and reduce our chances of developing certain types of mental illness, including memory loss, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s Disease (by a whopping third). Puzzles also improve our memory, our problem-solving skills, our ability to concentrate, our vocabulary and even our IQs.
How? Because when we puzzle, we use both sides of our brain. The left side sees all the pieces and tries to sort them out logically. The right side sees the “big picture” and works intuitively. Both analytical and creative thinking is required to complete puzzles. When we exercise both sides of the brain simultaneously, we create connections in our brains. These connections increase our ability to learn and remember. That’s not all! Making these connections also puts our minds in a dream-like state as we stay intensely focused in a creative way. The benefits to our brains are truly made on a deep level.
We also feel a little release of dopamine each time a puzzle piece is placed, which increases learning and memory. Dopamine is one of the brain’s neurotransmitters, that helps regulate mood, motivation, attention, positive thinking and feelings of optimism—we could all use a boost right now!
3 - Puzzles Give Us Time to Connect + Collaborate
If you’re puzzling with friends and family in your household, a simple puzzle gives us time to connect and bond with each other over simple play. We have been spending so much time together, often on our phones or in front of a TV, puzzles are a quiet and relaxing alternative where everyone can participate. We’re not only making healthy connections in our brains, but with each other.
Don’t discount puzzling as just a family-friendly activity. The quiet work we do when puzzling together also improves our abilities for collaboration and teamwork in any situation. At home and at work. Important skills to keep up as we find ourselves removed from most of our communities for the time being.
Turn your phone off and take a break from doomscrolling and try a puzzle! Or, any activity that gets you into a mindful meditative state. Your brain will thank you! If you’re ready to try a puzzle (they can be hard to find right now!), some of our faves are from Canadian-based, Fits Puzzles. Thanks for reading and happy puzzling!