Why Jigsaw Puzzle Games Are the Ultimate Stress Reliever
Is there anything more satisfying than taking a mass of jumbled-up puzzle pieces and putting them in order? Not only does it satisfy our deep desire for order and control, but it also reveals a bigger picture in the process. There is a life lesson hidden here somewhere.
But you would think that solving jigsaw puzzle games would make us more stressed out, not less, right? It takes time and a lot of mental effort to solve a puzzle so it’s reasonable to assume that it would add to our stress. But the opposite is true. Jigsaw puzzle games have a way of helping us focus and use our brains in a way that feels restorative rather than another drain on our already frantic psyches.
How do jigsaw puzzles help with stress?
Can you think of examples of when you were doing something that positively engaged your brain? A time when you seemed to focus on the task without much effort, and the time just seemed to slip away? This is what researchers call the ‘flow state’. There are a lot of activities that can get you into the flow state, like:
Drawing
Exercise (running, boxing, tennis, etc.)
Reading for enjoyment
Playing board games
Brainstorming interesting ideas
Different people are drawn to different activities but Jigsaw puzzles just so happen to be one of the easiest and most accessible ways to enter a flow state.
A lot of people turn to things like social media, binge-worthy series of movies, or even alcohol to try and turn their brains off when they are stressed. However, distraction is not always the best way to get stress relief. In fact, looking for ways to enter your flow state can be just what your brain needs.
Studies have shown that taking on jigsaw puzzles can improve cognition, help you cope with stressors, and help with regulating your emotions. The activity acts as a sort of mental massage that works your brain in a way that is restorative and generative.
What is it about jigsaw puzzles?
Jigsaw puzzles are just one of many games that engage your brain in positive ways. Other stress relief games like chess, word search games, and pattern recognition games, can be just as useful depending on your preferences.
Jigsaw puzzles are said to have started way back in 1760 as a way to learn geography. Original puzzles follow the borders of countries that could be placed together to form a map. Fun fact: the creation of the jigsaw puzzle actually predates the jigsaw, so the original puzzles would have been cut with a hand saw.
The reason why jigsaw puzzles are so good for our brains is that they operate within what’s called the ‘zone of proximal development’. This means that jigsaw puzzles challenge our brains at just the right level; not too difficult that it makes us feel stressed, but not too easy that it makes us feel bored. It’s when you are right in the middle that you get into the flow state.
Tile Blitz: One of the best stress relief games online
Now you may agree that taking on a jigsaw puzzle game could be both fun and beneficial to your brain, but the reality is that you don’t always have a new jigsaw puzzle lying around or the time to complete a 5000-piece puzzle! Fair enough. Just like so many traditional games and activities, you can get the same benefits from certain online games that operate in a similar way to jigsaw puzzles. One such game is Tile Blitz by Avia Games.
What is Tile Blitz?
Tile Blitz is an epic tile game that works in similar ways to a jigsaw puzzle. It’s as if Tetris and jigsaw puzzles were folded into one. It’s designed to be social so that you can play against other people, while only needing a mobile phone to participate. Here’s how it works:
You compete against other plays from across the US and other countries
The game works on a tile grid
You must place one of three given shapes onto the tile board to complete rows and columns
Completing rows and columns causes them to disappear which gives you more space to play and earns you points
The player with the most points at the end of the game wins
The secret to winning Tile Blitz is in taking advantage of combinations. When you can clear multiple rows at once or in a sequence of turns, you will be rewarded with extra points!
How to make money playing Tile Blitz
Tile Blitz is a legit puzzle game that lets you earn money just by playing. That’s right, you don’t only get mental benefits but monetary ones too! You earn money by winning games against other players in one-on-one games or in tournaments where you play multiple opponents at the same time.
You play Tile Blitz for free with game tickets that you get when you first start, or as a reward for playing regularly. You can also play for as little as $1 by setting your buy-in amount and taking on the competition. The player with the most points at the end of the game takes home the cash and the top three players of a tournament will take home their share of the winnings.
Tile Blitz is part of the Pocket7Games game app. The app allows you to:
Set up a personal profile
Choose from a range of games including Tile Blitz
Put money into your profile account
Collect winnings in your account
Withdraw winnings whenever you want with PayPal, Venmo, or Visa
Tile Blitz uses a matching algorithm to ensure that your games are fair and that you play against opponents with a similar level of skill and experience.
Download your stress relief games
Whether you’re in it for the mental benefits, the chance to win some cash, or just a little bit of fun, download Tile Blitz on your Samsung Android or iOS mobile device today! Though completing puzzles can be satisfying enough, a tile game that helps you get into your flow state and deal with stress is unbeatable.