10 Long Term Benefits of Doing Jigsaw Puzzles

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Our lives can often be so busy, consumed with day to day tasks and things like work, school and many other day to day jobs. So it is no surprise that many of us turn to hobbies and interested in our free time to try and relax. For some that could be a sporty hobby or something physically active such as a run or a swim. But for others it is something more calming and quiet such as reading a book, having a bath or even doing jigsaw puzzles! 

Whilst Jigsaw puzzles used to sometimes carry a stigma of being something older people enjoy, they are actually becoming an increasingly popular hobby for people of all ages from kids up to grandparents and everyone in between. In fact places like The Works has a great range of discount Jigsaw Puzzles for all ages. 

If you are thinking of taking up a hobby in jigsaws or are wondering why they are becoming so popular, here are 10 long term benefits of doing jigsaw puzzles. 

Screen Free Time 

As parents we often talk about limiting our children's screen time and how time away from screen's is good for them. But the same applies to adults too and in this day and age we spent so much time looking at various screens including phones, tv's and computers, it is so important we take time away too. 

A hobby such as jigsaw puzzles is perfect for this as it involves no screens at all. It doesn't require you to even be near a screen so it can be enjoyed quietly anywhere in your home and without the need to be staring at a screen. With this in mind it can be a great activity to get the kid's involved with too, enabling the whole family to spend time together away from the distraction of screens and technology. 

Improved Gross Motor Skills and Dexterity

Jigsaw puzzles are made up of lots of tiny pieces that all need to fit into a certain space so it is probably no surprise to hear that doing jigsaw puzzles regularly can improve your motor skills and dexterity. Sorting through small pieces, picking them up, flipping them over and fitting them into small fiddly spaces, all use the small muscles in our hands and fingers, therefore improving dexterity and often mobility in these muscles. 

Relaxation 

It is not secret that hobbies are supposed to be things that we enjoy, not only that but they are supposed to be relaxing too. Something we can come home from a busy day too and enjoy without stress or worry. Jigsaw puzzles can help you relax by focusing your mind on a simple, easy but enjoyable task. As you focus more on the jigsaw puzzle it help's your mind focus on the task in hand, relieving you of any stress and worry you may have had. 

Uses Both Sides of Your Brain 

Our brain is a clever thing and doing jigsaw puzzles is one way that we can get all of our brain working! Puzzles actually get both the left and right side of our brains working since it exercises both the creative and analytical sides of your brain. 

Think of doing jigsaw puzzles as a complete mental work out that is also enjoyable and relaxing. It uses your problem solving skills, creativity, requires your attention and skill to complete and of course the more pieces the harder your brain will have to work. Not only that but doing jigsaw puzzles can help with mental stimulation which in turn helps with the production of dopamine which works to control our moods as well as helping with memory.

Improved Short Term Memory 

Do you often forget where you left things or what you were doing a few hours before? Well the great news is that doing jigsaw puzzles, looking at different pieces and remember different parts of a jigsaw, can actually help to reinforce connections between brain cells, improves mental speed and in turn helps to improve short term memory. 

Family Time 

Family time is so important and over the last 6 months or so with everything going on any many of us being stuck in lockdown, many of us have realised even more so than ever before just how much we value family time. We spend so much time rushing around everyday that we sometimes forget to take that time to just be together as a family. However having a jigsaw on the go as a family can be such a fun, enjoyable activity that doesn't have an age limit so can be enjoyed by all. 

Improved Visual-Spatial Reasoning 

Doing a jigsaw puzzle involves lots of time spent looking at small individual puzzle pieces and trying to work out where they go and how they will fit by sight and reasoning alone. Doing this regularly can actually help your visual-spatial reasoning and in turn this can then help with tasks such as driving a car or map reading. 

Alone Time 

Whilst jigsaw puzzles are a great social/family friendly activity, the great thing about them is that they can also be enjoyed alone too. Life can be full of noise, chaos and over stimulation but doing puzzles can offer a simple, calm, quiet and enjoyable activity that you can do alone in your spare time at your own pace. 

Sense of Achievement 

Placing that final piece into a puzzle and stepping back to admire the picture definitely gives us that sense of achievement, especially when it has taken several days, weeks or months even to complete. Jigsaw puzzles are a fantastic and manageable way to get that great feeling of achievement from time to time. A sense of achievement doesn't just feel good to us though, it is actually really important for our own self esteem and mental wellbeing and whether you get it from completing big job at work or completing a puzzle it is all still valid. 

Not only that but if you particularly enjoy the puzzle you could always frame it and hang it up so you can look at it time and time again and enjoy your achievement of completing it all the time!

Reduced Risk of Alzheimer's and Dementia 

It will probably come as no great surprise that keeping ourselves active, including our brains can help us stay healthy. But did you know that studies have shown that people who regularly do jigsaw puzzles and crosswords have a lower chance of developing conditions such as Alzheimer's, Dementia and memory loss. 

The way this works is because puzzling actually stimulates the brain and helps to ward off the plaque that is often a marker for Alzheimer's according to a recent study in the archives of neurology. Doing puzzles support the growth of new nerve cells and can reduce the amount of brain cell damage that occurs in Alzheimer’s patients.

Have you ever considered doing Jigsaw puzzles in your spare time?

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**This is a collaborative post.**