Picture this: You’re sitting around the kitchen table, hunting for the last few pieces of a puzzle you’ve been working on for hours. Something clicks, and you place the last piece in its place and jump for joy!
That satisfying feeling comes after hours of putting your brain to work in a fun and engaging way. Studies have shown that long-term jigsaw puzzling can greatly benefit brain cognition in adults.
But what is it about jigsaw puzzle games that challenge our minds? Here we break down the benefits of jigsaw puzzles for you and your brain.
Table of Contents
Work Out Your Left and Right Brain
Ever asked someone if they’re more left-brained or right-brained? While all humans use both sides, they control different functions. The right brain is creative while the left brain controls analytical thinking.
Luckily, with puzzling, both sides of the brain get an equal workout! Both sides play a vital role in problem-solving, making puzzles and games the perfect combination of intuition and logic.
Improve Short-Term Memory
Think of all the instances where you engage your memory while completing a jigsaw puzzle. The bottom left corner of the puzzle has blue and purple colors, so you have to remember where they go once you find pieces with those colors. And that missing space? It has a rounded edge with one opening, so you’ll have to remember that when searching for the piece to fit in that space.
These visualizations help form new brain cells and reinforce connections between existing ones. This effectively improves our short-term memory, which can aid in preventing brain damage. For patients with Alzheimer’s, jigsaw puzzle games are especially useful.
Practice Visual-Spatial Reasoning
The practice of visualization not only improves memory but engages our visual-spatial reasoning. How is that applicable to life outside of puzzling? We use visual-spatial reasoning when we learn a dance, organize or pack a bag, and even drive a car!
The puzzles and other mind games you choose should be suitable for your difficulty level and an image you want to complete. Find a set of puzzles that range in difficulty with engaging visuals like Cloudberries Puzzles.
Relieve Stress and Calm
Have you considered puzzling as a moving meditation? Puzzling can be a valuable hobby to turn to when overwhelmed. It’s a great way to cope with and regulate distressing emotions, while healthily engaging the body and mind.
Puzzling helps us practice mindfulness in our daily lives. Plus there’s nothing like completing a puzzle to foster achievement and joy!
Test Your Brain With Jigsaw Puzzle Games
In a world where aging is inevitable, science tells us that it’s worth it to break out that jigsaw puzzle from the childhood game closet and get puzzling. You’ll get a dopamine rush each time you successfully complete jigsaw puzzle games in addition to the many cognitive benefits. And that mood booster is satisfying to keep chasing!
For more tips on health and fitness, keep browsing our articles.
