The Global Coronavirus Pandemic Has Boosted Jigsaw Puzzle Sales Across Britain.

Since Covid 19 landed on the shores of Great Britain, the Government initiated the first lockdown in recent history and the British people have been reverting back to playing indoor games like the great Jigsaw Puzzle.

British Adults are turning to Jigsaw Puzzles to both unwind and challenge themselves during a relaxing time at home and I’ve found myself asking what the big fascination is.

So I took it upon myself to find out.

Completing a Jigsaw Puzzle improves your memory.

Solving puzzles usually helps to reinforce existing connections between our brain cells. It also increases the generation of new relationships between cells. This, in turn, improves mental speed and thought processes.

Jigsaw puzzles are very good for improving your short-term memory, which helps us to remember shapes, colors and visualize the photograph to figure out which pieces will fit together.

Doing Jigsaw Puzzles improves your problem solving skills.

If you can creatively solve problems and think critically it’s usually valued in your job as well.

Puzzles help us to develop those important skills.

Puzzles always require us to take different approaches to try and solve a problem since there’s a lot of trial and error involved. We also learn the value of formulating theories, testing hypotheses, and changing our perspectives when something doesn’t quite go as you wanted it to.

Improved Visual-Spatial Reasoning.

When we have a go at solving a jigsaw puzzle, we look at different pieces and figure out where they fit within the bigger picture. Doing this regularly helps improve our visual-spatial reasoning.

Better visual-spatial skills help with a number of everyday tasks, including:

Driving a car (parking, switching lanes, etc.)

Packing and figuring out how many items can fit in boxes, suitcases, or the trunks of our cars and using a map.

More Education Opportunities.

Even crossword puzzles and other word games provide great educational opportunities. They help us to improve our vocabulary, as well as our language, research, and spelling skills.

Increased IQ.

Puzzles provide improvements to our vocabulary, memory, and overall reasoning. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of the other benefits of puzzles is that they help raise our IQ (intelligence quotient).

A researcher from the University of Michigan found that adults could raise their IQ by four points after spending 25 minutes a day playing puzzle games.

Delay Dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Puzzles can help delay the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Studies show that by keeping the mind active through doing puzzles can reduce the amount of brain cell damage that occurs in Alzheimer’s patients and supports the growth of new nerve cells, strengthening the connections between them.

Researchers have also found a correlation between the number of years someone has been solving puzzles and the likelihood that they will develop Alzheimer’s. So, the sooner you start making puzzles a regular part of your life, the better. It’s never too early to start exercising and protecting your brain.

Improved Mood.

One of the amazing benefits of puzzles is that they increase our brains’ production of dopamine.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and feelings of optimism. It also affects memory, concentration, and motivation.

Dopamine is released every time we successfully solve a puzzle — or even just get one piece in the right place. This encourages us to continue working on solving them and challenging ourselves.

Lower Stress Levels.

Puzzle’s also help us to relax.

Our brains go from a “Beta,” or wakeful, state to an “Alpha” state when we’re solving puzzles, which is similar to the state we’re in when we’re dreaming.

This shift in consciousness comes with many benefits, including:

Ability to make deeper connections

Improve our mindset

Relieve stress

Improve mood

Increase our self-confidence

Increased Attention to Detail.

When you’re solving a puzzle, especially a jigsaw puzzle with tiny pieces that all look alike, attention to detail is crucial. You need to train your eyes to pick out slight differences in color or shape that will help you put everything together.

An ability to pick up on small details helps in every aspect of our lives, especially at work. When we’re more detailed oriented and precise, the quality of our work improves.

Increased Productivity.

When we’re happier and less stressed out, it’s easier for us to concentrate. When our concentration improves, our productivity naturally skyrockets.

Many offices are actually starting to include jigsaws and other puzzle games in their breakrooms. These puzzles let employees take their minds off work for a few minutes and come back refreshed and ready to go!

Better Collaboration.

If you’re looking for another reason to incorporate puzzles into your workplace, tell your boss that they’ve been proven to build collaboration between coworkers.

Researchers at Yale University found that giving people the opportunity to work together on solving puzzles allowed them to improve relationships and their abilities to cooperate to finish a task.

Wow, with all of this new information about completing a jigsaw puzzle in mind, what are you waiting for?
Buy a jigsaw Puzzle now and improve your whole life.

Since lockdown began, I’ve invested heavily in my artwork and introduced a new product line of Jigsaw Puzzles in to my online shop, where you can browse the latest jigsaw puzzle designs available to buy.
Link to my online shop.

I currently have 7 designs at the time of writing this blog and also have many more new puzzle ideas brewing, with several photographs in waiting for production. Up To now, I only offer 1,000 piece Jigsaw Puzzles, with a view to introducing 500 piece puzzles at a later date.