Jigsaw Puzzles for Stress Relief: Finding Stillness in the Pieces
- Yolanda Sanders
- Feb 4, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
Considering the rise of interest in jigsaw puzzles during the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns—and seeing players on Netflix’s series The Circle yelp with excitement after finishing one—I wondered: are there genuine emotional and cognitive benefits to this classic leisure activity?
My attempt at a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle was more challenging than I thought it would be. Still, with every little piece in place, I felt a grounding sense of accomplishment. In our fast-paced education world, using jigsaw puzzles for stress relief is a simple yet powerful way to maintain our "Social Emotional Soul."
The Science of Jigsaw Puzzles for Stress Relief
Jigsaw puzzles offer a rare, tactile refuge. Whether completed independently or as a collaborative classroom "reset station," they provide mental exercise that triggers the release of dopamine. This neurotransmitter provides the satisfaction and motivation we often lack during a stressful workday (Bergland, 2011).
Researchers indicate that various visuospatial cognitive abilities are used with jigsaw puzzling, including::
Constructional Praxis: The ability to manipulate spatial patterns.
Mental Rotation: Imagining how a piece looks when turned.
Working Memory & Reasoning: Crucial skills for students and lifelong learners alike.
Fissler et al. (2018) believe that long-term jigsaw puzzle solving may even aid in healthy cognitive aging. This suggests that the habit of turning to jigsaw puzzles for stress relief can have lasting benefits far beyond a single afternoon of quiet.
A Tale of Two Puzzles
Even in an era of high-tech simulations, the tangible touch of a puzzle is a desirable pastime. I recently decided to dive back in alongside my daughter, @Zoriamber.
I worked on the Ravensburger Tropical Island Charter, a traditional 1,000-piece challenge. My daughter completed The Mystic Maze by The Magic Puzzle Company, which featured a "secret" second puzzle option within the first—a creative twist that mirrors the layers of our own emotional growth.
Does It Actually Reduce Stress?
Both my daughter and I reported a noticeable feeling of accomplishment. Even when I was a long way from finishing, completing a small section provided a "micro-win" that lowered my heart rate.
Focusing on the pieces allowed me to let go of the day's worries. While 1,000 pieces (which often include a few extra due to manufacturing logistics!) seemed daunting at first, the apprehension faded into a "flow state" (Lerno, 2021).
Persistence: The Soul Lesson of Puzzling
There were moments I felt like giving up. My daughter noted that my puzzle was objectively harder due to large sections of similar colors. However, by allowing my mind to relax rather than forcing the solution, the right spot for each piece eventually revealed itself. In the classroom and in life, if it isn’t fun, we can stop—but when we remove the pressure of a deadline, the draw to finish becomes an intrinsic joy.
Connected Reads from the Social Emotional Soul
Mindfulness in the Classroom: How to Create Calm in a Chaotic School Day.
The Power of Tactile Play: Why High-Tech Learners Still Need Low-Tech Toys.
Building Resilience Through Failure: What a Missing Puzzle Piece Teaches Us About Life.
The Soul Lesson
Life often feels like a box of scattered pieces—overwhelming and disconnected. But when we slow down and focus on the single piece right in front of us, the bigger picture begins to reveal itself. Patience is not just about waiting; it is the peace we find while putting the pieces together.
References
Bergland, C. (2011, December 26). The neuroscience of perseverance: Dopamine reinforces the habit of perseverance. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201112/the-neuroscience-perseverance
Fissler, P., Küster, O. C., Laptinskaya, D., Loy, L. S., Von Arnim, C. A., & Kolassa, I. T. (2018). Jigsaw puzzling taps multiple cognitive abilities and is a potential protective factor for cognitive aging. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 10(299). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2018.00299
Lerno, T. (2021, December 6). A puzzling history of jigsaw puzzles. Los Angeles Public Library. https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/puzzling-history-puzzles
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