Ideas for Jigsaw Puzzles – Strategies to Keep Your Mind Sharp

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The idea of a jigsaw puzzle can be appealing for many reasons.  It is an activity that requires patience and concentration, which are important skills to develop in order to stay sharp as you age.  A person who has been putting together puzzles since they were young will likely find it easier than someone who is new to the hobby.  There are several strategies that a novice can use to make the process more enjoyable, easy, and effective though! 

In this article, we will explore some ideas for solving puzzles successfully and quickly.

Strategy One: Find a Good Working Area

Make sure the table you are working on is clear of distractions.  Put all other items in a cupboard or closet, and cover any nearby surfaces to reduce the clutter that can slow down your progress as you put together pieces.

Having a clear area to work on will make the process faster and reduce frustration.

Strategy Two: Dedicate Time to Solving Puzzles

One of the best ways to keep your mind sharp is by solving puzzles.  Puzzles are a great brain workout and can be fun, too!  It’s important that you dedicate time each day or week to working on different jigsaw puzzle strategy problems in order to see continued improvement from one level up to more advanced levels.  Some may find it helpful to work on puzzles in the morning before they start their day, or at night when they are winding down, but what is important is that you make time to work on and improve your puzzle skills.

The key is consistency and dedication; if you spend just a little time each day, then over the course of a week or two, you’ll see some great improvement in how quickly and accurately you solve puzzles!

Strategy Three: Study the Image

Make sure you take time to really look at and study the image before beginning. Keep in mind any patterns or shapes that might be similar throughout, such as a color palette or an object appearing over and over again. This will help guide your eye when picking pieces out of the pile!

Strategy Four: Think of the pieces in your jigsaw puzzle as a map that you are putting together.

Every piece is part of an overall picture, and if one is missing or out of place, it won’t make sense to see what’s going on with our design! We need all those little bits for everything else to fall into place.  The best way to put together a jigsaw puzzle is by starting with the corners. Paying close attention when you are picking pieces out of the pile will also help immensely in making sure that they match up correctly, and make it easier for you!

Take your time when putting together puzzles – there’s no need to rush through them and risk making mistakes!

Strategy Five: Enjoy the process!

It’s amazing what a change of environment can do to help you see the pieces in your puzzle as a whole, rather than just broken down bits.  Putting together puzzles is an enjoyable way to escape from daily life and spend some time on yourself with no pressure or stress – it will be worth all of those moments that might have felt, and it could even be the key to solving that puzzle!

 

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