One of the primary methods of coping with mental health and/or emotional distress is to distract your mind from the problem(s) at hand. Although we all have unique ways to distract ourselves (some people venture into the garden, others spend time with a certain 900 year old Time Lord) some methods of distraction are universal.
One of the most common distraction techniques are puzzles and quizzes. Whether it’s sitting down with a tough Sudoku or wiling away the hours with a jigsaw puzzle, spending time enjoying these activities is not only emotionally productive but can prove beneficial to both mood and memory.
This week, we’re going to have a little bit of fun (whilst honing this particular coping skill) with a variety of puzzles, quizzes and games.
Enjoy! :)
~~♥~~
#3: Jigsaw Puzzles
Back in the day I used to spend hours putting together jigsaw puzzles. Once completed, I glued them together, mounted them, framed them and displayed them on my wall. Not only was this cheaper than artwork (a bonus for someone living in poverty) but whenever I gazed upon the image I remembered the wonderful time I’d spent putting it together.
Piecing together a jigsaw puzzle can be an incredibly meditative and relaxing experience, hence why I’m sharing four puzzles (of varying difficulty levels!) for you to play around with! :)
Why not give them a go?
![Inverness Sunet...Difficulty: EASY (24 Pieces) [Image © Addy]](https://myjourneywithdepression.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/jig11.jpg?w=820)
Difficulty: EASY (24 Pieces) [Image © Addy]
![Melbourne Street Art...Difficulty: MODERATE (48 pieces) [Image © Addy]](https://myjourneywithdepression.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/jig2.jpg?w=820)
Difficulty: MODERATE (48 pieces) [Image © Addy]
![Red Centre...Difficulty: HARD (96 pieces) [Image © Addy]](https://myjourneywithdepression.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/jig3.jpg?w=820)
Difficulty: HARD (96 pieces) [Image © Addy]
![Glencoe...Difficulty: PULL YOUR HAIR OUT!! (300 pieces) [Image © Addy]](https://myjourneywithdepression.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/jig4.jpg?w=820)
Difficulty: EXPERT (300 pieces) [Image © Addy]
~ CLICK EACH IMAGE TO TAKE YOU TO THE ONLINE JIGSAW PUZZLE ~
Other Fun and Games in this series:
- #1. Mental Health at the Movies (a wordsearch)
- #2. Where in the world? (an inspirational quote anagram)
All that I am, all that I ever was... 
February 28, 2013 at 1:32 am
I should buy puzzles. They are calming if you get the right size for your patience level :P
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February 28, 2013 at 10:39 am
They’re definitely calming. Although if you’re going to buy some, be cautious with charity shop jigsaws. I got a couple from a charity shop and (depsite stickers on the box proclaiming they were complete) discovered there were several pieces missing from each. And there’s nothing more annoying than this! :)
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March 1, 2013 at 2:22 am
That would be such an upsetting discovery!
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February 28, 2013 at 3:51 am
Totally buzzed that you have something which takes your mind of things, but I find the idea of Jigsaw puzzles, just mind achingly boring.
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February 28, 2013 at 10:56 am
My dad feels much the same way about jigsaws as you do, whereas my mum loves doing them. I guess it’s just another example of there being no one-size fits all approach, it’s all about finding what works for us as individuals and focussing on these things. :)
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February 28, 2013 at 5:27 am
Brilliant idea. I’ll take a look at them later when I’ve finished on the Reader and actually written a post for myself. Thanks for sharing. :)
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February 28, 2013 at 10:58 am
Hope you enjoy them. :)
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February 28, 2013 at 3:26 pm
Yayyy puzzles. Boooo java. Maybe on a slow day at work :(
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March 3, 2013 at 4:26 am
1:01; 5:29; 11:10 and i cannot see well enough on this computer to try the last one but that was a really fun 17 minutes xo
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March 3, 2013 at 9:14 pm
0:59; 5:12; 10:03…but then I made them, so I should be able to do them quickly! :p
But gloating aside, I’m glad you had fun doing them. I’ll have to see if I can steer away from Java next time! :)
(PS…it took me 73:44 to do the last puzzle. It was a right *****, so you’re probably not missing out on anything but intense frustration!)
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July 5, 2013 at 4:21 am
It is a great idea; no doubt jigsaw puzzles are a great way to relieve stress. We can relieve stress without getting frustrated. I always admit that putting together jigsaw puzzles can be a great way to relax and let it all go.
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February 25, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Playing jigsaw puzzles would be fun and memorable.
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