The health benefits of jigsaw puzzles
Are you looking for a healthy distraction and escape from the world around you? Look no further than your dining room table and a jigsaw puzzle. While we are physically distancing and staying home more due to COVID-19, jigsaw puzzling is a great way to pass time. Putting a jigsaw puzzle together has many health benefits and can help reduce stress and improve memory. Working as a healthcare practitioner can be stressful during normal times, and even more so during a pandemic. This is where self-care and finding ways to be mindful when away from work can be beneficial to your health. Mindfulness is the act of bringing conscious attention to a task in the present moment, and puzzles are a good way to practice it.
The act of putting the pieces of a puzzle together requires concentration and improves short-term memory and problem solving. Using the puzzle as an exercise of the mind can spark imagination and increase both your creativity and productivity. It can be a solitary activity or a collaborative activity with someone else. Spending time alone with a puzzle is also a great way to unwind and reset from a busy day. Working on a puzzle with someone can help you get away from screens and create a personal connection. Every time I visit my family in Michigan, my mom and I have a jigsaw puzzle to work on. I look forward to spending this time with her collaborating and catching up.
When I sit down to do my puzzle, my dog gets to relax in his “puzzle spot,” and I can leave all the stress of the world at the door while I dive into a beautiful mountain scene or There is nothing more satisfying for me a picture of cute puppies or kittens. than putting the last piece of the puzzle in its place. It provides a sense of accomplishPuzzles are also good for the brain. Studies ment. I encourage you to take this time to have shown that doing jigsaw puzzles can find a puzzle of your liking — it will be like a improve cognition and visual-spatial mini-vacation from the outside world. reasoning. 10
