Piecing It All Together

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By Kathy Dean

Some people like the challenge. For others, it’s a way to unwind after a hectic day. Whatever the reason, jigsaw puzzles have a lot of fans. Puzzle lovers are found across the country and around the world, and metro Atlanta has its share.

Daiga Dunis of Decatur said the puzzles allow her to disconnect and focus on relaxing. “It’s a visual thing and I’m a visual person. I like the shapes and the colors in the picture. It’s kind of like meditating.”

And it’s exciting when things start to fit. “We get a bit of an endorphin surge when the pieces link together,” she added.

Good for the brain

Medical experts confirm those positive results.

“Putting a jigsaw puzzle together has many health benefits and can help reduce stress and improve memory,” Jill Riley, senior clinical operations associate in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, wrote in a 2020 blog entry.

“Puzzles are also good for the brain. Studies have shown that doing jigsaw puzzles can improve cognition and visual-spatial reasoning. 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.”

Dunis, 72, said that she has particularly enjoyed working on puzzles during the pandemic, and she’s not alone.

Many flavors

Dunis says every puzzle company has a different vibe for its products. “New York Puzzle Company is a bit squirrelly,” she said. “Normally, when you work an edge, it’s pretty standard and a good safe bet. Not with theirs… something could change with it.”

Dunis prefers puzzles with clear patterns and colors. “I did one that was a picture of a peacock with an open tail.