Puzzles as brain boosters

We have an ongoing Community Puzzle table that has put together some neat ones. All throughout the year we have a puzzle set out on one of our tables upstairs so that anyone in the community can participate in putting it together. Take a look at some of the ones we've completed so far:

Puzzles are an underrated pastime activity. Yes, it is slow, sometimes tedious, but there is something you can glean from such a paced activity. Unlike the fast, flashy hobbies of today, puzzles require patience, perseverance, and concentration. It's a skill-building activity and one that has proven to result in other benefits aside from the obvious. When you participate in puzzling, you can: improve your memory, problem-solving, attention, spatial reasoning, and mood. It has also been associated with stress reduction and preventative brain health such as reducing the acceleration of mental aging. If you are concerned with dementia or other accelerated memory decline, puzzling can be the perfect way to work in some preventative care.

Putting together jigsaw puzzles isn't the only way you can improve your health. Doing crosswords or Sudoku can also have beneficial effects. Chess and Scrabble can improve problem-solving and critical thinking. Word searches and card games are also games that can help memory. There are so many options that are relatively cheap and easy to pick up with the intention of improving overall health. And here at the library you can participate in at least one of these activities with other people, so the added stimulation of companionable conversation might also serve a purpose.

Words as therapy

Libraries are a place of words. The written word in the form of books, magazines, newspapers, and the like can be found in most of the space. Of course you can find self-help books that can be both therapeutic and chockful of information. But what else can a library provide? The quiet, unofficial works of a library and its frequenters can be the healing that takes form through various interactions.

Many people still believe that public libraries are stuffy, silent, and boring. Libraries are nothing like that, or at least the good ones aren't. People often come to the library for their daily dose of interaction and social connection. The words that are exchanged between patrons or between library staff members and patrons are sometimes the lifelines between people. Some conversations pass undetected by those outside their bubble, while others are clearly transmitted across space. Either way, these everyday interactions weave together people's day-to-days in the simplest and purest form of communication.

Neighbors chance upon one another within our walls, old classmates create tiny reunions when they accidentally meet through our threshold, and older patrons excitedly revisit with someone they haven't seen in years right in our foyer. These conversations are healing to our well-being as it ties us into our community, giving us direct links into caring for others, and building a sense of support simply through conversing. We witness interactions like this almost every single day.

Then there are the words that pass just between our own ears. The words you tell yourself, the ones you write to yourself, the ones you create and mull over. Oftentimes, having a spare moment to sit with the thoughts and feelings we experience can be a luxury. The simple act of bringing awareness to the self builds an important skill called self-awareness. Developing this skill can lead to better decision-making, stronger relationships, and improved emotional intelligence. Imagine simply being able to think freely and understand oneself in order to improve so many things at once.

The library tends to be a place that people come to think, work, create. Through these activities, there is a sort of rhythm that oftentimes gets lost in the hurry of our days. We learn to speak to ourselves again, to draw attention to the innerworkings of our own being, the thing that is often ignored in the hustle and bustle of modern living. Through this act, we get in touch with our natural way of operating in the world. We begin to get in touch with how we move internally and how that translates externally, which can allow for a sense of calm. In the same way a baby will be soothed by the sound of caretaker's heartbeat, we can also be comforted by our own inner pattern.

It is a common thing for me to reiterate to others that the library is more than just dusty old tomes and volumes. It encompasses so much more than it is usually given credit for. Stop into your local library for books, movies, take-and-makes, and more - but stay for the connections. Your heart will thank you. 💝💗💞

End of the Year Cheer

I have already seen someone's Christmas tree in their front window of their home. It was well before Halloween (several weeks actually) and was definitely Christmas themed. Where I think people can do whatever they want and should be able to celebrate Christmas early, I do like to think that it distracts us from the other meaningful holidays leading up to it.

Halloween has always been a favorite purely due to nostalgia. It was one of the holidays that was mostly geared towards kids and growing up this holiday was always hyped up. There were Halloween parties at school, dress-up days, and trick-or-treating. You got tons of candy and sometimes fun party toys or other kinds of treats. You got to play pretend and watch others join in too. It was a sort of magic that is difficult to manufacture. I think most people still really enjoy this holiday, but by decorating for another holiday so early on you can forget the true enchantment of it.

And Thanksgiving. It's like we are forgetting this holiday even exists. I think it's so important for us to keep the sentiment in mind, not necessarily the historical significance (though it can be equally as important with the correct facts) of this day. If Christmas doesn't really resonate as the day to be thankful for you and your loved ones being alive, then Thanksgiving surely should be. This is literally the single day in the year that highlights the need and importance of being thankful. If you aren't the type of person who practices gratefulness regularly this can be the day you set aside every year to do just that.

If you haven't heard of the positive effects of practicing gratitude, you can do a quick Google search and find these common themes: reduces stress, anxiety, and depression, enhances mood, and improves sleep. Even a single day to gain a little bit of that? Worth it. Not only that, you could prolong the effects by using Thanksgiving as your jumping off point for the year. Incorporating thankfulness can be a daily practice instead of an annual occurrence too. Lastly, the Macy's Day Parade is one of my favorite things to watch on TV and it only happens around this time. It just signifies to my subconscious that it's almost time for all the yule festivities!

So, throw up your Christmas tree before Halloween. Stock the aisles full of holiday decorations months before the actual holiday. Wish people a Happy New Year in September for all I care. But, if I can simply implore you to remember the significance of each one and what it means, that will be enough. They are cherished parts of someone's memory, maybe a large part of why someone keeps choosing to live on, and/or just a really meaningful time for someone else. We should honor each one not only for ourselves, but for others as well.

Enjoy your holidays and enjoy each other. 👪💝👐