This winter promises to be a long one, and finding ways to take care of your mental health — or just simply finding something tosolving a puzzleAprilia West
, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, says puzzles give your mind one thing to focus on so you can take a break from the constant task-switching most of us do throughout the day. Puzzle-solving also offers a much-needed sense of certainty. There are clear beginning and ending points, which can feel good when everything else is up in the air. People can also use puzzles to manage their emotions, West says, by shifting attention from something upsetting to something neutral.
But fixating on a jigsaw puzzle for a couple of hours isn't just helpful for in-the-moment feelings. Puzzles can also have long-term effects on the brain. According to