Puzzle Me This … Again

Previously we looked at working on a jigsaw puzzle and the lessons one can learn from this favourite pastime of mine. Today I want to focus on the mental and psychological benefits from putting puzzles together. I have identified ten.

1. For me the most important benefit is that I find puzzles relaxing and enjoyable. I build them purely for pleasure. There is joy that comes with not only completing a puzzle but even as I am working on it. Finding a new puzzle fills me with a sense of anticipation. Unwrapping the box, letting the pieces fall and seeing the mixed-up mess fills me with an unbelievable sense of challenge, which I love.

2. Puzzles are also good for focus and attention to detail. When I am busy with my puzzle I don’t think about anything else but the task at hand. The more the pieces, the more I need to concentrate. And so I get to shut out everything else and focus on what is in front of me.

3. This also has the benefit of distracting me from worries and lowering my stress levels. It is my escape time and for that moment I allow myself to not stress about anything else. There is no performance anxiety, no pressure to impress, no worry about how long it is taking or what others will think of my effort. I gift myself the moments of pure joy and relish each stage of the process. It is my oasis of peace in an otherwise stressful day. And because I am enjoying it so much, I tend to lose track of time.

4. Building a puzzle has helped me to trust myself more. I set a challenge for myself and when I do complete one, it validates me and gives me a sense of accomplishment. It is exciting to see the image emerge and to know that I am the one causing it. And I know I will finish it, I know I am capable. The more puzzles I complete the bigger the challenge I set for myself. As a result I am no longer satisfied with a few hundred pieces, the more pieces the better. (I am now up to a thousand-pieces box.)

5. Building puzzles helps with problem solving skills. Moving from a pile of mixed-up pieces to one coherent image requires solving many ‘problems’ along the way and helps to train the brain to look for solutions instead of getting stuck on problems.

6. Another benefit of building puzzles is with improved memory. When working with many different pieces one need to keep track of where the pieces go, where they do not belong and where they have been tried before. This requires an ability for quick recall.

7. Building puzzles has been shown to help with improved visual-spatial skills, i.e. the ability to interpret images and diagrams as well as to conceptualise and place objects together. This helps with developing a sense of time, a sense of distance, a sense of direction, use of space and estimation of size. This is good for mental development in growing children and also for delaying mental decline in adults.

8. Puzzles are a safe way of learning to accept failure and move on. When I try a piece and it does not fit, I simply put it aside and look for a better fitting one. Sometimes the piece will seem to fit but will still be the wrong one for that section. And I may only discover this at a later stage, ending up having to dismantle an entire section because I would have built it on a wrong piece. When that happens I do not wallow and beat myself up. In fact, I expect to fail with many pieces until I get it right. And that does not make me a failure.

9. Building puzzles has also taught me to move on from my successes. Once a puzzle is completed I then need to disassemble it and put the pieces back in the box in its mixed up pieces. I do not have the space or a gallery for all my completed puzzles. Once I have satisfied myself with the finished product, it is time to let it go. Many people are stuck on past successes and have not allowed themselves the challenge of letting go, moving on and starting a new quest. I would not have known that I am capable of hundreds and even a thousand-pieces puzzle box if I had remained stuck on my early accomplishments. We need to stop clinging on to past experiences, no matter how great, and rather create new ones along the way. That is the only way one will ensure they have a full and rich life.

10. Lastly, building a puzzle can also be a shared experience, creating better connection with others. This is a benefit I am yet to realise as this is an activity I currently consider to be exclusively for me.

I bet you will never look at a box of jigsaw puzzles the same way again!