Whether it’s practising mindfulness, journaling or taking a walk and being in nature, many of us turn to stress-relieving activities for a break from our busy lives. With research from healthcare brand Forth revealing that one in five UK adults feel stressed every day, it’s important that we make time for ourselves to de-stress and reset.

While we may commonly associate stress-relief with exercise activities such as yoga and jogging (which, of course, offer a huge number of benefits), Puzzler, the UK’s biggest-selling puzzle magazine, has recently highlighted how completing brain-teasing activities can potentially alleviate stress, offering an entertaining and relaxing activity that can help boost our moods. Specialist healthcare agency Greenstaff Medical also reports on how crossword puzzles in particular can help lower stress levels.

“When thinking about how to reduce stress, puzzles might not be the first solution that comes to mind,” explains Shameem Begg, head of promotions and innovations at Puzzler Media. “However, the act of completing a puzzle creates a thought diversion, guiding the mind to focus only on the here and now. The problem-solving process is akin to that achieved through traditional mindfulness techniques used to help alleviate stress.”

Puzzle enthusiasts will likely already know how these types of activities can have a positive impact on their mental health. However, for newbies, Begg has the following advice: “The most important thing is to pick a puzzle you enjoy. Regardless of the type of puzzle – be it crosswords, sudoku or word searches – their inherent nature means that the brain centres on just one task – piecing the puzzle together.”

In a world where we’re all busy with work, social lives and relationships, it’s important to make time for ourselves. So, it could be well worth picking up a puzzle the next time you’re looking for a moment to relax. 

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