We’ve talked many times before about the benefits of mindfulness, truly losing yourself in a moment and switching off your busy brain. Easier said than done though, I know!
Today’s post is about the power of puzzles (something I adore!) and how they can be a great way of helping you to feel good and to find solutions when the world around you might feel out of control.
So here’s why I think puzzles are great! I’d love to hear what you think.
- Unlike life, puzzles have answers to them (granted, they’re not always easy to work out) and puzzling typically absorbs us completely as we attempt to solve them. So very much achieving that state of mindful flow and being in the moment. Plus distracting us from other stresses that may be present in our lives.
- We have to show (or develop) patience and resilience and flex our mental muscles to solve them (brains do still work after having children, I promise!).
- Puzzling produces dopamine (the reward chemical) which give us a sense of satisfaction and relief when we solve them.
- And puzzles help with brain functions like attention, reasoning, memory, multitasking and improvisation.
- Plus, if you’re engrossed in trying to work out who committed the crime, your brain hasn’t got the capacity to run away with itself on any disaster planning or ‘what if’ scenarios.
So take a few minutes now to have a think about what the letters might stand for in these catchphrases – as an example 12 M in a Y would be 12 months in a year. And feel free to share some of your favourite puzzles with me.
- D at a T
- W on a B
- LR
- H of the A
- F on a H
- S to a H
- Wonders of the World
- T on an O
- P in the SS (well there used to be anyway!)
- Y in a D