For as long as I can remember, my household has been preoccupied with puzzles. Right now, it's a 2,000-piece challenge of a garden scene, complete with a few cats. I've never really been interested in helping out with the jigsaw task at hand.
In fact, I'm usually the anxious Chatty Cathy distracting my family members from zoning in on the activity with my self-soothing rambles. When they do zone in, though — wow, they're calm, relaxed, and nearly in a . Is it true, however, that puzzles have a calming, meditative effect? I reached out to a licensed clinical psychologist to find out.
, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified yoga instructor, and scientific advisory board member for R3SET supplements. Her expertise is in mindfulness and stress management. "Puzzles are more than just a way to pass the time," Dr.
Barrett says. "Particularly during periods of high stress, becoming immersed in a puzzle can be like practicing a mindful meditation — relaxing your mind and body, decreasing stress, and even slowing your heart rate and lowering your blood pressure." Dr.
McCoy Barrett continues by referencing meditation teacher and author Lodro Rinzler's words: "Mindfulness is the type where you bring your full mind to an object." With puzzles, Dr. Barrett notes that you're in the moment and focused on the task, but this particular task also hands over a sense of control.
"During uncertain and stressful times, things that give you a sense of control, no matter how small, .