Why Doing Jigsaw Puzzles Helps Maintain Memory

 

Ageing and Mental Health

I might sound a tad pessimistic, but ageing and mental health are not exactly the best of friends. For the strong willed, high-spirited, and healthy ones, ageing should not be a matter of concern though. But for the rest that comprise the majority of the normal populace, it should be a matter of serious consideration. No alarm bells here, but just a bit of cautionary information that might save us from a few likely disorders and greatly alleviate the resultant suffering. Medical research in this field has shown that ageing can result in unwanted conditions like mild cognitive impairment and dementia. They can also produce issues like mood disorders, delirium and frailty. Not to mention the adverse effects on our memory.

Remedies

But there is reason to cheer as there are many remedial measures and activities to preserve our mental health no matter how much we age. The NHS (National Health Service) of the UK prescribes the following habits or activities to promote our mental wellbeing as we age.

·         Social connectivity

    o   Healthy relationships can help foster a sense of self worthiness and belonging and can provide               us the much needed emotional support.

·         An active physical life

   o   Physical fitness and health can have a direct bearing on our mental health and wellbeing.

·         Developing new skill sets

    o   Can greatly boost our self-esteem and confidence.

·         Being Kind and helpful to others

    o   Can infuse a sense of purpose in life and boost self-worth.

·         Living mindfully

    o   This can bestow an increased awareness of ourselves and our surroundings and can greatly                       improve our mental health.

 

Jigsaw puzzles as a memory retaining and enhancing tool

A simple childhood activity that most of us often tend to overlook in our lives is solving jigsaw puzzles. Yes, these brain games can have a stimulating and benevolent effect on our brain’s memory power as well as mental wellbeing as a whole. Jigsaw puzzles are what can be termed as a sort of mental workout which can stimulate both the left as well as the right side of our brain. The left side is associated with what we might call logical thinking, and the right side with creative thinking and imagination. When we sit down to solve jigsaw puzzles with complete focus and concentration, it can have an almost meditative effect on our brain, providing tranquility and relaxation. And this can in turn have a beneficial impact on our heart rate and blood pressure.

 Research indicates that regularly engaging in jigsaw puzzles boosts the secretion of dopamine. This is especially rewarding as dopamine is a hormone that has direct control over our memory, mood, and motivation. They also indicate that this fun activity can help battle cognitive decline as well as improve our short-term memory. Other highly useful benefits include enhanced problem solving skills and improved visual-spatial reasoning.

Finally, a recent research conducted by the University of Exeter has been published by the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. It states that elderly people who are often involved in solving puzzles tend to have sharper minds.

 

- Vijay Ramalingam