PUZZLES

When I get stuck in a routine on a dark winter day, working on a puzzle of brilliant colors or a sparkling mountain stream parts the clouds in my mind so I can think clearly again. And that isn’t my imagination. According to the Baylor College of Medicine, puzzles are good for the brain. The act of putting the pieces of a puzzle together requires concentration and improves short-term memory and problem solving*.

What I have learned… I can look at a puzzle for 20 minutes and not find a single piece that fits. If I leave and come back in an hour, I usually put 4 or 5 pieces in place with little or no effort. This tells me that my brain and intuition are working even though I have gone on to some other activity.

I find this strategy also works when dealing with the real challenges in life. Instead of beating a problem to death, taking a mental break helps to clear my mind fog and often enables me to unravel a problem to its core when I go back to look at the situation.

So what’s my point? Doing activities like working puzzles, drawing in a sketchbook, or engaging in some hobby may seem frivolous and a waste of time, but in fact may increase our overall effectiveness. I must admit that much of the time, I feel guilty taking these “creative” breaks, but God gives us gifts and talents to enjoy, to share with others, and as a way to make Him known. I take comfort in these words of the Apostle Paul:

“…Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

(1 Corinthians 10:31) 

*https://blogs.bcm.edu/2020/10/29/a-perfect-match-the-health-benefits-of-jigsaw-puzzles/ #:~:text=Puzzles%20are%20also%20good%20for,term%20memory%20and%20problem%20solving.