How Doing Puzzles Creates Order in a Chaotic World

Joe Arrigo spends his workdays as an MBTI counselor and assists clients with resume writing, career development, and organizational conflict, among other activities. Outside of his consulting work, Joe Arrigo enjoys working on puzzles.

Taking up jigsaw puzzles as a hobby has become increasingly popular in the last year or so, and according to a few sources, the reason is because the activity is not only relaxing but also provides the participant the chance to sort out mental chaos. Numerous pieces of literature have connected doing puzzles to several cognitive benefits, including mental sharpness and reasoning advantages.

Since doing puzzles requires concentration, the hobby allows the participant to decompress in a way that is fun and creative. It creates an opportunity for a person to escape for a few hours while focusing on trying to put a million pieces together-creating order from disorder.

While doing the puzzle, the person looks at the picture and the patterns before them to try to make sense of the disorder. Every so often, the person picks up pieces and matches them with others that appear to fit, and sometimes, the pieces fit. At some point, the puzzle’s image comes together, and as each piece is added, it becomes easier to solve.

Ultimately, this relaxing activity reduces stress while also forcing the person to slow down and complete a concrete task that does not involve a device screen. Some people find that the activity has several benefits similar to meditation.