MARKUS SPIERING / EYEEM VIA GETTY IMAGES
Why is everyone talking about jigsaw puzzles right now?
Jigsaw puzzles are definitely having a moment over lockdown as we turn to activities to entertain and distract us, while we spend so much time indoors. With increased anxiety and worry over the pandemic, it is also natural to look for comfort and escape in a nostalgic throwback from childhood. Puzzles can also provide us with a sense of purpose when we are unable to map out future plans.
We feel the popularity and resurgence of puzzles is not just linked to the pandemic but has been growing steadily as people (especially millennials and Gen Z) turn to more ‘mindful’ activities. As well as puzzles, there has been a boom in adult colouring books, paint-by-numbers and embroidery kits, showing people are looking for playful ways to slow down and focus on something more calming and creative. Puzzles allow the slow satisfaction of completing the picture by yourself or you can share the experience and finish the puzzle as part of a team with friends and family.
The great thing about all activities is they don’t involve tech or looking at a screen - just your hands and your brain. They are incredibly grounding, letting your mind wander freely. For most of us, it is a welcome change of pace to our day and a way to step back from the sensory overload of modern life.
The Daily Telegraph’s Health Writer, Jack Rear, recently highlighted the numerous health benefits of doing jigsaw puzzles to readers;
‘Studies have shown that jigsaw puzzles create a sense of escapism, allowing us to forget the anxieties and stresses of everyday life while promoting feelings of calmness and serenity.
Research published in 2017 found that solving a jigsaw works both of the brain’s hemispheres and enhances participants’ ability to focus. The feeling of success when completing a jigsaw was also shown to encourage the production of dopamine, the hormone that regulates mood and boosts concentration, motivation, memory and motor control.
There were physical benefits too – completing a jigsaw can decrease blood pressure and reduce concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol.
So if you’re not already completing jigsaws in your free time, now might be an ideal time to start’.
We couldn’t agree more!