Every day is sort of a jigsaw puzzle. You have to make sure that you’re putting the most important things first – Julia Hartz, Entrepreneur 

The jury is in. An office puzzle is a GREAT way to promote well-being, encourage team building & increase screen breaks in your office.

Did you know that the government website recommends screen breaks for 5 to 10 minutes every hour over breaks of 20 minutes every 2 hours? Sitting for long periods is also linked with a number of health concerns. Luckily this can be tackled by frequent breaks. A puzzle is an incentive to get people moving and avoid the sluggish afternoon slump.  

A little research reveals that puzzles can also nurture your problem-solving skills, cognitive function, and memory. “The meticulous nature of a jigsaw puzzle doesn’t only allow the subconscious to deal with a problem that needs to be analysed and solved, but can also help promote the re-assessment of decisions we make.” – Annakie Wessels – Building Mindfulness Through Puzzles. We’ll take that! 

This puzzle was a gift from the lovely people at Halton Citizens Advice, so we had to test out these claims! Here’s what the team had to say about it: 

Well, I love puzzles anyway, so to have one at work was something special. This was a short distraction from the screen time. Concentrating on finding a piece is a mindfulness exercise – you think only about one thing at that moment which helps to have a break from a million and one thoughts. Many other colleagues joined in so it became a bonding activity. And finally, our big round table used to be called ‘the sweet table’ where all the carby and sugary treats are kept. There was no space for that so we avoided that unnecessary and unhealthy eating. – Sandra, Head of Facilities 

It gave my eyes a break from staring at the screens and my brain a break from thinking about work for a few mins. It also felt like a bit of team-building! I ended up buying some jigsaws myself to do at home as a kind of mindfulness act. – Sarah, Engagement Officer

I loved stepping away from my screen to do something fun and different. It was great to be able to work with other colleagues from different teams who I might not always get a chance to chat to. Also the collective joy that was felt by everyone when we found the right pieces or figured things out was great, it was a real team effort. – Cynthia, Media, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

I enjoyed that the puzzle allowed me to step away from the screen and focus on something else. I got to speak to people in the office I maybe wouldn’t normally have spoken to. It built a sense of teamwork as different areas of the business came together. The fact that the puzzle wasn’t the same as what was on the box also got us thinking about things other than our own lives and work. – Georgia, Engagement Officer

I didn’t get a lot of opportunities to have a go but managed to find 4 or 5 pieces! I love a challenge and boy, was that a hard one. – Carole, Business Advisor & Facilitator 

It was a nice break away from your screen and also felt like team building/bonding too. – Jenny, Personal Development & Skills Facilitator

There you have it. We implore you to give it a try & put a puzzle in your office. We’ve already started two more!