Jigsaw puzzles are good for you!
When we were very young and visited our grandparents, it was really special. The warmth of the house, the smell of homemade bread, and the puzzle table were things you could always rely on. The house was quiet and we were expected to maintain that quiet, even though we weren't yet teenagers with the ability to do so. Often the only thing that could be heard was the fancy mantle clock ticking and faint whistling from our mother's father in the kitchen. But the puzzle table! It was the source of power that helped us keep our little voices from crying out miscellany; finding the right piece for the right spot, constantly keeping track of how many pieces we made fit. Doing puzzles became a silent, serious competition. What we didn't know then, was that this activity was also like simultaneous meditation and mental workout.
Scientists have studied this.
Doing puzzles is great mental exercise. Doing puzzles can be considered a complete brain exercise since it exercises both the right and left sides. The right is in charge of creativity, emotions and intuitive thinking; and the left is the logical, objective and methodical side.
Doing puzzles improves our visual-spatial reasoning. To assemble a puzzle we see different pieces and we must place them within a larger image. Doing this exercise regularly helps us improve our spatial reasoning.
Doing puzzles improves our attention to detail. The ability to capture small details and differences between piecis can help us in all aspects of our lives, especially at work.
Doing puzzles improves our problem-solving abilities by challenging us to take different approaches to putting the work together. If you're doing a puzzle with others, it's great for fostering teamwork.
Doing puzzles increases our productivity. Believe it or not, it's not a time-waster. It increases concentration, de-stresses us, and when you take a short puzzle-break, it resets your brain, allowing you to return to work refreshed.
Solving puzzles increases brain production of dopamine. This neurotransmitter is responsible for regulating mood and optimism. It also affects learning, memory, concentration, and motivation. Dopamine is released every time we do a puzzle and even every time we put a piece in the right place.
Some studies have even shown that spending less than a half-hour per day solving puzzles can raise your IQ by 4 points.
We love doing puzzles and highlighting small businesses, so here are five great little puzzle companies that we think you should know about:
Blue Kazoo
Josh Sowin and Abraham Piper, two guys who embrace creative absurdity and ridiculous perfectionism, created a great little puzzle company that is co-headquartered in Los Angeles and Minneapolis because that's where they live. Their puzzles are beautiful of look at, gorgeously manufactured, and some are diabolical to solve. And to think that it all started with a 4th-floor Post-It war...if you want to know the story, read their about page. website: bluekazoo.games
New York Puzzle Company
Founded in 2007 by two college pals, New York Puzzle Company started with a simple idea of making a puzzle of the iconic NYC subway map. They have expanded their offerings with the philosophy that puzzles should be more than just a fun activity to do at home – puzzles should be works of interesting art. website: newyorkpuzzlecompany.com
Jiggy
5 years ago, Kaylin was working around the clock at an early startup and fell in love with jigsaw puzzles as her nightly meditation. She found that the stress relief was great, but the designs were outdated and uninspired, so she fixed it by creating a company that not only creates beautiful puzzles, but also supports and highlights the work of amazing female artists. website: jiggypuzzles.com
Piecework
Rachel and Jena discovered their love of puzzles by accident. For ten years they prioritized working over living, going to the party when they really wanted to stay home, hosting a dinner party for ten when they wanted to cook a stew for two. Feeling burned out in 2016, they booked a rental cabin for a quick escape. But, when they arrived, they were rained in for the entire weekend. With no phone service and nothing to do, they turned to a closet of dusty puzzles only to find they offered the rest and relaxation they had been looking for in the first place. Oh, and they have Spotify playlists to accompany each puzzle. How great is that?! website: pieceworkpuzzles.com
Lemonade Pursuits
Abigail was trying to minimize her anxiety and quickly realized that puzzles made her feel great. Doing a puzzle is the only thing that slowed down the buzzing in her brain. And, in solving a smaller puzzle, she had the confidence to take on the challenges that life presents. That’s when she decided to start Lemonade Pursuits. Her mission is to positively harness the mental energy that causes anxiety. In pursuit of this mission, she reinvented the jigsaw puzzle. website: lemonadepursuits.com