Month: March 2021

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BENEFITS OF PUZZLE SOLVING

I have been solving puzzles for years, actually from childhood days. Got into competitive Sudoku solving (reached national level championship 09 times) and Puzzle solving (reached national level championship twice) in the last 15 years or so. It has now become a part of life on the verge of addiction. While researching for aspects related to this type of addiction, came across benefits associated with puzzle solving.

 

Puzzles, power the brain and are a great family activity as well as solo pastime. Puzzles are incredibly beneficial for children because they foster physical and cognitive brain skills. They are beneficial for adults as well as they keep the brain active and delay onset of dementia and Alzheimer.

 

Puzzles have existed in various forms since the time of the ancient world. Riddles are mentioned in the Bible, puzzle jugs date to the 1700 BCE in Cyprus, and magic squares were introduced in China around 700 BCE.

 

In modern times, jigsaw puzzles were invented by John Spilsbury in 1767, crossword puzzles were first published in newspapers in 1913, and the Rubik’s Cube was created in 1974.

 

There are thousands of types and varieties of puzzles including Logic puzzles, mathematical puzzles, word puzzles, code puzzles and linguistics puzzles etc.

 

Benefits of Puzzle Solving

 

  • Mental exercise. Solving puzzles exercises both the right side (in charge of creativity, emotions and intuitive thinking) and left side (the logical, objective and methodical side) of the brain.

 

  • Prevents Cognitive Decline. While solving puzzles both sides of the brain communicate and work together, increasing cognitive function.

 

  • Improves Visual-Spatial Reasoning. Assembling jigsaw type of puzzles helps in improving spatial reasoning.

 

  • Greater Attention to Detail. Solving puzzles entails paying attention to details. The ability to capture small details helps in all aspects of our lives.

 

  • Improve memory. Solving puzzles strengthens neural connections and increases the generation of new connections. This increases mental speed, thought process and improvement in memory.

 

  • Increases IQ. Regular solving of puzzles does raise the IQ level by improvement in memory, concentration, vocabulary, and reasoning skills.

 

  • Improves Problem Solving Ability. Solving puzzles involves adopting different approaches, formulating theories, testing hypotheses, and changing perspectives. This also helps in critical thinking, better adaptive skills and day to day dealing with situations.

 

  • Enhances Mood. One of the benefits of puzzles is that they increase the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, memory, and concentration. Dopamine is released with every success in solving puzzle.

 

  • They Lower Stress Levels. Puzzles invigorate the brains but they are also very relaxing. This leads to a better mind set and better stress coping skills.

 

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START

 

Comments and value additions are most welcome

 

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SHIQURDU 9

  • Shiqurdu is a collection of thoughts. Although an odd sounding name, but felt appropriate for the collection.

 

  • These are simplified quotes in Hurdu (Hurdu being a mix of Hindi and Urdu akin to Hinglish i.e., hindi and english). Although in some cases the language has been simplified but attempt has been made to retain the thought and the poetic flavor.

 

  • These thoughts have been picked up from various publications. Credit goes to all the original writers who penned down these deep meaning messages.

 

56

झुकने से रिश्ता हो गहरा

तो झुक जाना चाहिए

लेकिन हर बार “आपको” ही झुकना पड़े तो

रुक जाना चाहिए…..

 

57

वक्त कहता है… मैं फिर न आऊंगा

जीना है तो इस पल को ही जी ले

इस पल को मैं अगले पल तक न रोक पाऊँगा!

 

58

जिन्हें मंजिलों तक जाना है, वो शिकवे नहीं करते

शिकवों में जो उलझे हैं , वो पहुंचा नहीं करते

 

59

एक बार वक्त से, लम्हा गिरा कहीं

वहाँ दास्ताँ मिली, लम्हा कहीं नहीं

 

60

ज़रा सी रंजिश पर

ना छोड़ अपनो का दामन

ज़िंदगी बीत जाती है

अपनों को अपना बनाने में

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MENTAL TOUGHNESS

“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”

– Sir Edmund Hillary

 

Information age has its own peculiarities. On top of it the pandemic has imposed a new kind of working culture and lifestyle. These are affecting people in many ways. The most prominent is the adverse effect on mental health of people. In these times being mentally tough is invaluable.

Mentally tough people shake off life’s adversity with confidence and determination. 

 

Mental toughness is the ability to resist, manage and overcome doubts, worries, concerns and circumstances that prevent one from succeeding, or excelling at a task or towards an objective or a performance outcome that one has set out to achieve.

 

Some Suggestions to Become Mentally Tough

 

Free Entitlement. Do not feel entitled to anything. There are no free lunches. There is no short cut to hard work.

 

Deal with Change. Change is inevitable. Do not try to avoid it, accept it, and learn to adapt to it. Embrace the opportunity and take on the challenge.  

 

Retain Control. Do not complain about situations you can’t control. Be optimistic and deal with it with a positive attitude.

 

Learn from Mistakes. Mistakes are part of life. Learn quickly the first time and do not make the same mistakes again and again. 

“Men’s best successes come after their disappointments.”

– Henry Ward Beecher

 

Calculated Risk. Risky decisions are vastly different than calculated risks. Do not be reckless, but embrace new opportunities after carefully examining their efficacy. This requires critical thinking and confidence. 

 

Think Long Term. Go for long term commitments rather than short term solutions or immediate gratification. They are no short cuts for extraordinary results.

 

Let go. Do not live in the past or wish for things to be different. Let go of past mistakes and focus on work at hand and creating a promising future. Let go of bitterness and learn to forgive. 

 

Learn to Say No. One can’t please everyone. Learn to say no and speak up when necessary. Be respectful but set firm boundaries.

 

Blame Game. Do not blame society, others or boss for personal failures. Take full responsibility for personal decisions / choices made. Learn, amend and move on.

“Strong minds suffer without complaining; weak minds complain without suffering.”

– Lettie Cowman

 

Self-pity. Do not waste time on self-pity feeling sorry for yourself. Accept that life isn’t always fair and concentrate on personal improvement.

 

LAST TWO ARE MOST IMPORTANT

 

Me Time. Understand the difference between loneliness and being alone. Spend some time alone to recalibrate.

“You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with.”

– Wayne Dyer

 

Celebrate Other’s Success. Do not resent someone else’s success. Do not make comparisons and feel jealous about someone else’s accomplishments.  Instead celebrate other people’s success and strive to become better every day.

 

Value additions are always welcome.

Please share what you have learnt in life.

 It may benefit someone else.

References:

  1. https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/7-habits-of-people-with-remarkable-mental-toughness.html
  2. https://jamesclear.com/mental-toughness
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_toughness
  4. https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-develop-mental-toughness.html
  5. 62 Years of Life Experience