How do you know if something is worth it?
What is included in your checklist to make sure you’re buying that is above your needs and expectations?
Will you always consider its pros and cons?
Is the amount you’ll spend a huge chunk of your decision-making?
These are some of the common questions we have in our heads before going to buy something, right? Then most likely you’ve come up with these as well when deciding to buy a jigsaw puzzle.
Are puzzles worth it?
Anything that has value is worth it. It all depends on how you define what is that “value” means to you.
A jigsaw puzzle is worth every penny, time, effort, and patience if played by a puzzler. A puzzler is someone who willingly gives value and importance out of a simple cardboard game. Their fondness for it entirely depends on their personal reasons.
If we put emphasis on the word “value” itself, it’s broad. It strings to a lot of aspects in our lives. We can talk about it in our finances, relationships, beliefs, and so much more.
In my personal experience, puzzles are worth it because it keeps my mind going. It makes my thinking skills stimulated.
It’s a brain exercise for me.
Here are some things you can use to know if jigsaw puzzles are worth it.
1. Money
Our spending habits should be monitored all the time to limit unnecessary expenses. To do that, we should identify things based on our “wants” and “needs”. We should put more financial value on our needs over our wants to help us budget properly.
Spending some money on jigsaw puzzles is definitely under the category of our “wants”. It’s not a basic necessity but a leisure hobby.
As a leisure hobby, money spent on it is worthy if given with a purpose. A jigsaw puzzle should be used based on its purpose, completion. Buying excessively expensive types of jigsaw puzzles just because you don’t know where to put your money on, is a no-no.
2. Time
They say “time is gold”, indeed. Time is too precious to waste on things that aren’t worth it.
Time spent on jigsaw puzzles may or may not be time-worthy on whom you asked. It’s a fun time when you ask people who enjoy playing it but when you ask someone who’s not a fan of a jigsaw puzzle, they will say otherwise.
No matter how long you spent time on something or with someone, as long as you’re happy and enjoying it then it’s worthwhile.
3. Effort
Exerting our efforts are all based on our motivational drive and responsibility. Most of the time, we do things because of the benefits we can get out of them.
Playing jigsaw puzzles definitely requires effort to finish. It drives out our power and strength because it gives us positive emotions in exchange. These emotions keep our mental and emotional health on high making us more optimistic and happy afterward.
4. Patience
Patience and efforts go hand-in-hand.
When you exert effort in playing a jigsaw puzzle, you will definitely need to have the patience to make it work. Those are two forces will give you the drive to finish what you have started, and when you’ve come to your jigsaw puzzle finish line, your hardship will all be paid off.
As for my own experience, it took me 5 hours on my first jigsaw puzzle experience! I never have imagined myself exerting that kind of effort while playing one.
I don’t know where I’ve got all those motivations at first, but when I am starting to see my progress, then I knew why. You can check my article about the best way to start a jigsaw puzzle from a beginner’s experience to know more.
5. Mind Benefits
In playing jigsaw puzzles you’ll need your intellectual and thinking skills. You need to practice your decision-making, problem-solving, and strategic planning to accomplish your goal. These mind exercises keep your brain power strong, agile, and competent while enjoying your game.
It’s like just how you exercise your body at the gym. You shed sweat, tears, and blood to have that desired body shape and weight.
You have to endure and sacrifice to get the benefits you’ve been looking for. At first, you’ll be like a stubborn kid looking for immediate results, but then again, success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time.
Success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time.
6. Relaxation
Sometimes, when you want to de-stress yourself from everything, you play.
When you find yourself at peace, comfortable, and relaxed while playing then you’ve achieved your reward already. Oftentimes, we do whatever it takes just to experience the calmness of the surroundings even just for a while. This peace and serenity give a full boost to our spirits and minds which makes it worth the price.
With this fast-paced life, sometimes we wish to stop the time, stop the moment, stop the chaos, and just be still. We crave silence and peace to nurture our souls with.
Different activities can be done to achieve this. Some do yoga, some do meditation, some go to a secluded place for a short while.
As for me, I play jigsaw puzzle alone. This soothes my soul and my mind the peace and quietness I need once in a while, thus making my playtime definitely worth it.
7. Creativity
Learning something new from time to time is a great gift we can give to ourselves. When we uncover things we didn’t know that we can ever since, makes us more enthusiastic and eager to push ourselves to become better at it.
You know, being creative is not a thing that I know about myself. Actually, I “accidentally” discovered it while playing a jigsaw puzzle.
I just noticed myself thinking and creating scenarios in my head, coming up with various ideas that I didn’t know I could, ever since.
Never have I thought that I can do this and that for a long time. With that, I am extremely happy and satisfied!
8. Intelligence
They say intelligence is inherited. It is scientifically true but intelligence could also be enhanced through constant practice and effort too.
Increasing your intelligence while playing is a win-win scenario. Well, don’t assume that in just one time playing you’ll become Albert Einstein in a snap because it doesn’t work that way. You have to constantly train yourself to go beyond your brain limits and become a better version of yourself.
You see, the intelligence I am talking about is not necessarily about studies alone or something like that.
Intelligence comes in different forms. You can be street-smart, a genius in playing musical instruments, great in human interaction and communication, or a mega-mind in cracking jokes.
All it takes are a dash of good genes and a ton of learning experiences.
As long as your desire to learn doesn’t stop, you’re making yourself smart.
In my article about can a hobby make you clever, you’ll see what specific skill related to intellect could be enhanced by jigsaw puzzling.
9. Brain development
Children who play puzzles at a young age tend to improve their brains at a higher rate compared to those who don’t. This is because toddlers have the ability to digest everything in their surroundings to familiarize themselves with. It’s a natural human development to help with our basic survival.
The human brain is like a sponge when we’re young. We absorb every information we have around us. We learn how things work, at the same time, we learn how we work.
It can only be done by exposing it to things that stimulate the learning process inside our brain.
10. Relationships
Relationships don’t necessarily mean to be the romantic one alone. It can be any form of human interaction where you connect with their emotional and mental side.
Improvements in relationships with yourself and with others usually happen when engaged in similar activities that both parties enjoy. If that certain activity could help you connect with your loved ones then it’s definitely worth the price because, at the end of the day, our lives with them are our home no matter what.
FINAL TAKE
The worth of anything that we intended to buy solely relies on our individual preferences.
Our considerations and criteria may vary depending on the situation we’re in, time of the day, how well our mood is, the amount of money we have, and so much more.
It’s for you to decide. After all, the things we do in our lives are our own responsibility. We should take ownership of it.
Let no one dictates what you want because it’s your choice, your rules, your responsibility, your life. If no one is harmed by that decision, I think you’re good to go.
Have fun!
Let no one dictates what you want because it’s your choice, your rules, your responsibility, your life.
