‘The Art and Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles’ highlights the fascinating history and surprising health benefits of jigsaw puzzles.’ Find out how this age-old hobby may promote relaxation and mental acuity. Discover the history of jigsaw puzzles and their benefits for both mental and physical well-being.
What is a Jigsaw Puzzle?
A jigsaw puzzle is a kind of tiling puzzle in which many tiny, tessellating, and interlocking pieces must be assembled. The jigsaw puzzle fits together to display a whole image, with each piece being a portion of a bigger picture.
Jigsaw Puzzles: Their Origins
The name “jigsaw puzzle” came from a technique that included painting an image on a rectangular, flat piece of wood and then cutting it into little pieces using a jigsaw. Around 1760, a London-based mapmaker and engraver named John Spilsbury is credited with creating the first jigsaw puzzles.
Many themes, including natural sceneries, structures, and repeating patterns, are frequently seen in jigsaw puzzles; castles and mountains are among the most popular themes. But you can make a jigsaw puzzle out of any picture, even your pictures.
How to Make a Jigsaw Puzzle
The majority of jigsaw puzzles made nowadays are made of cardboard instead of wood, as mass production makes them easier and more affordable. Before cutting, an enlarged photo or printed artwork is adhered to the cardboard using glue. The board is then sliced using a press that has hardened steel blades in the appropriate form. To serve the expanding demand for upscale jigsaw puzzles, laser-cutting technology has also been developed, especially for hardwood puzzles. Puzzles have entered the digital sphere in addition to their conventional physical form.
Digital jigsaw puzzle applications and websites, such as Daily Jigsaw Puzzles, have grown in popularity because they let users solve puzzles from the comfort of their homes or even while they’re on the go. Online jigsaw puzzles are more convenient, take up less room (many people find it convenient not to have to store a real box and board), and are better for the environment because they don’t require resources like paper, cardboard, wood, or plastic.
7 health benefits of jigsaw puzzles
Research has shown that jigsaw puzzles are not only entertaining but also good for our health.
- Jigsaw puzzles can be beneficial to your physical health
Solving jigsaw puzzles can aid in relaxation and thus lower blood pressure, pulse rate, and breathing rate.
Additionally, they can be quite beneficial for preserving and enhancing our fine motor abilities, which facilitate the handling of small things.
- Puzzles can help you maintain mental sharpness
It takes problem-solving, memory, and visual perception abilities to finish a puzzle. According to research, jigsaw puzzles can thus be a useful tool for mental training and the prevention of cognitive deterioration.
- Solving jigsaw puzzles may lift your spirits
There’s proof that when you put a puzzle piece perfectly, your brain releases more dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone that may give you a sense of fulfilment and success.
Since doing a jigsaw puzzle promotes a sense of tranquillity, some individuals often compare it to meditation. Therefore, research indicates that focusing on a jigsaw puzzle for a while might reduce tension and anxiety.
- Jigsaw puzzles may help communication with family and friends
Solving jigsaw puzzles with others may be just as enjoyable as doing so alone.
What may be the purpose of starting a jigsaw puzzle on a table in your home that is easily accessible to others? This might provide you the chance to finish the puzzle together or inspire family members or friends to join a few pieces whenever they have some free time to sit down and work on it.
Solving jigsaw puzzles with kids may also be a great way to pass the time or strike up a discussion.
- Jigsaw puzzles are beneficial for kids
Children’s thoughts may wander from one thing to another, as we are all aware. However, jigsaw puzzles may be a useful tool for concentration.
Additionally, there are several educational advantages to completing jigsaw puzzles. For instance, youngsters may learn anything from colours and the alphabet to numbers and shapes* with the aid of themed puzzles.
- Solving puzzles can help you have alone time
Puzzles are excellent for providing some “me time.” They provide you the opportunity to escape the daily grind and the constant stimulation of today’s digital lifestyle.
- Jigsaw puzzle solving can assist in cutting down on screen time
It’s not good to spend too much time in front of devices. It may have an impact on our weight, sleeping habits, and mental and visual health. It might be challenging to discover strategies for reducing screen time, though.
Solving a jigsaw puzzle can motivate you to put your phone, computer, and even TV away for a while. Because jigsaw puzzles are so absorbing, it’s possible for hours to go by before you realize you haven’t touched your phone at all!
Final thoughts
In addition to being a great way to pass the time, jigsaw puzzles provide other health advantages.
Moreover, they are age- and generation-neutral and enjoyable to everybody. So everyone may gain from jigsaw puzzles, whether they are completed alone or as a family.
Jigsaw puzzles, from the original wooden ones to the contemporary digital ones, have ingrained themselves into our culture and, hopefully, will remain so!