Puzzles Can Improve Your Quality of Life More Than You Think
We know what you are thinking. Puzzles? What am I, 80? Well, I hope you will someday. So why not prepare mentally for this. Admittedly, jigsaw puzzles have a reputation for being very old, very young, or incurable nerds. To what do we say: yes, right? Some launched a podcast and made a starter during the pandemic; we started a healthy addiction to puzzles. And for good reason: the puzzle-making process has many health benefits, some of which may surprise you.
Puzzles help improve memory
Puzzles require left (logical, analytical) and right (creative, intuitive) brains to work together. Picking up a piece and imagining where it might go in a larger puzzle is like taking a trip to the gym. This requires neural connections between the two hemispheres and accelerated thought processes to improve short-term memory. (This is why they are often used to combat cognitive decline in older adults.)
According to a 2012 study published in the Archives of Neurology , older adults who kept their brains active through complex cognitive activities such as games and puzzles had less amyloid beta protein (a major component of the plaque indicative of Alzheimer’s) in their brains.
They hone their problem solving and attention to detail skills.
Solving the puzzle takes a lot of trial and error. First you can try to match the product in color, then in shape, constantly forming and revising small theories in your mind – all the while strengthening the connections between brain cells. This means improving your critical thinking skills.
Sometimes the only way to solve a puzzle is to look at the same 50 pieces for an hour to discern tiny differences in hue or shape, or to find the missing tenth of a person’s face. Getting to grips with the parts requires a lot of attention to detail, which can help you the next time legal entities email you a 30-page document.
Puzzles also improve visual-spatial thinking; Mentally figuring out where the pieces are in a larger puzzle strains the visual-spatial thinking muscle in our brains – a skill used in packing, reading maps, driving, and learning choreography.
They lower stress levels and improve your mood.
Did you know that the brain goes into an almost fairytale state when you solve a puzzle? According to medical researcher Sanesco Health :
Exercising both sides of the brain at the same time also allows the brain to move from the beta state, wakefulness, to the “alpha state,” the same mental state experienced in sleep. The alpha state is where we connect to our subconscious mind. Puzzles naturally induce this state of creative, focused meditation, where connections can be made at deeper levels.
The rush you get from solving and solving puzzles isn’t just in your head. Well, it is, but the pleasure and satisfaction you experience is backed by science.
While individual moments of confusion can be temporarily – and to some extent – frustrating, the overall experience of solving puzzles is uplifting. Every time you put a piece in the right place, your brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel happier and more alert. Sanesco Health adds: “Dopamine causes improved motor skills, increased concentration, optimism, confidence and improved memory.”
An inexpensive, mood-enhancing, memory-enhancing and stress-relieving activity that can give you a sense of happiness and accomplishment in the comfort of your home? If you don’t solve puzzles, what are you doing?
They are also useful for the cognitive performance of children.
Puzzles can also do a lot to develop a child’s mind; from spatial and organizational skills to patience and composure. They also help focus and improve fine motor skills. (Anything that can help them learn to tie their own buttons, laces, and zippers? Win.)