Transcript
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Speaker: Hello and welcome to Rest and Recreation, the work-life balance podcast from Abysida, where we don't tell you what to think, but we are hoping to make you think.
Speaker: I'm your host, Michael Millward, the Managing Director of Abysida. Today I am speaking to Bethany Ofuheni, the founder of Jigsaw and Gist, about the impact Jigsaws can have on our mental health and wellbeing in general.
Speaker: Bethany is based in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, a big expensive capital city, which is why when I visit, I always make my travel arrangements with the Ultimate Travel Club, because as a member of the Ultimate Travel Club, I can access trade prices on flights, hotels, trains,
Speaker: holidays, all sorts of travel related purchases. I'd like you to be able to do the same so there is a link with a built-in discount on membership fees in the description. Join the Ultimate Travel Club and we will both be travelling at trade prices.
Speaker: Now that I have paid some bills it is time to make an episode of Rest and Recreation that will be well worth listening to, liking, downloading and subscribing to and also an episode that will be worth telling your friends, family and work colleagues about as well.
Speaker: But now, hello Bethany. Hi how are you? I'm very well, thank you very much and hope that you can say the same. Yes, I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to have you here, but I'm also sort of a little bit worried. Did I get your, the pronunciation of your surname correct?
Speaker: You were nearly there, nearly there. So it's Fusahine. Opotohine. See, once you say it, I can just repeat it and it sounds, but it's just a case of um knowing where the syllables break and also getting the speed of it right. It doesn't work when you say it slowly. But it's a great sounding name.
Speaker: Thank you. Let's start. Tell me a little bit about your history. What's been your career to date? Okay, so I've always loved books or puzzles ever since I was younger. And it's only in recent I realized how important they are to me.
Speaker: And that's literally coming from my work history, so my career, so my nine to five. so I've been in higher education for quite a while, so in university life, and I just realised it was very on the go very on the go And I also recently moved to London, so yeah, the big expensive city. And in this city, realised that I felt very small, very disconnected from the London life that everyone's so eager to get to and be around.
Speaker: And in this whole bubble, I realised I wanted to slow down and genuinely find the connection. And the one thing that kept coming back to me was jigsaw puzzles.
Speaker: It's been a a quiet space for myself that I didn't really know I needed. it And in being an adult, being in London, being being an adult and having a career, I've just realized there's something i want to do for myself and take time away from myself that doesn't require urgency or the hustle and bustle so of always needing to be productive and everything like that.
Speaker: almost like your purpose is jigsaws. Yes, yes. simply Simply put, yes, it is. So I'm um a mindfulness and wellbeing practitioner, and that solely stemmed from jigsaw puzzles.
Speaker: I've decided that, yeah, I'm going to be hands-on and be creative. I think I've always been creative. it was It just took moving to a bigger city to realise that. So where are you originally from then, when you say you've moved to a bigger city?
Speaker: Oh, so a place called Kettering. It's in Northamptonshire. Have you heard of it? Yes, of course I've heard of it. I have to ask because most people haven't. So yeah, I'm from Kettering. There's an exit off the M1 for it. And then you're driving to London, you're sort counting the junctions down to London. So it makes like a jigsaw puzzle of the road. You put all the pieces together, you know how far you are away from things. Exactly, yeah. Yeah. I also remember that we almost moved there when I was a child, but we had the common sense to come to your child. Oh gosh, I couldn't disagree with that one.
Speaker: You've given your company a very practical name in one sense, but I get the jigsaw part of your company name. But what's the gist part of it? Jigsaw and gist. What's the the origins of the name?
Speaker: Yeah. So, yeah, you're right in that the jigsaw represents puzzles, jigsaw puzzles. And it's also like the idea of like the pieces of life coming together. So then when I add the gist, the gist is conversation. So that's like that's what gist means.
Speaker: It's just conversation, just like loose conversation, just like little catch ups. And then when I add that together, it's basically jigsaw and conversation and like having that space to be creative, calm.
Speaker: Yeah, that's jigsaw and gist. Because in some ways, Jigsaws can be a solitary activity. Correct, yeah. But you're proposing, I suppose, that including just in the name, you're proposing that they, jigsaws should be something that people do together.
Speaker: Yes. And to together coming together to do them doesn't need to be like performative or a really big like deal, but it's just something if if you're simply just doing your puzzle amongst other people, that's also a sense of community.
Speaker: um It's literally don't need to have a conversation. you could just go over and maybe put a piece in for somebody if they allow that because not everybody likes to share jigsaw puzzles. But I really wanted to allow and create a space for people to have a community alongside the jigsaws.
Speaker: If I'm correct in in understanding what you're saying is that The jigsaw can be an individual activity. Yes. You add the gist in to create the conversation, but you're not saying that the conversation actually has to be verbal.
Speaker: The actual collaborative act of creating the jigsaw is a conversation in itself. Exactly. Exactly that. Yeah. Just a place to collaborate, relax, environment, there whatever however you choose to show up that day is exactly how you can be accepted in that space. You're going to have to explain that a little bit more. If you have come there after a stressful day of work and you just want to do your puzzle and you don't want to communicate, you can just sit there and do your puzzle.
Speaker: If you don't mind speaking a little bit, having gist, so small talk to say, and it's just surface, that's completely fine. But then gist can also be deeper layers if necessary, because I feel with jigsaw puzzles, most people,
Speaker: have experiences or stories of when they've turned to a whistle puzzle, when it's benefited them or when it's they've needed it in a time of adversity. So in that relationship with the puzzle, if it's something you want to communicate amongst others, then that's perfectly fine. If it isn't, then that's completely fine as well. So that's what I mean by showing up as as yourself.
Speaker: And suppose in some ways, People think, it's a jigsaw, and it's just, that's it. But you're almost putting a bit of science into the jigsaw as well. Correct, yeah. Jigsaws have been something that have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Like those big pieces you have when you're a child, and it's like matching the right piece to go next to the next piece, and and as an adult as well.
Speaker: Why do we have jigsaws? It feels as if jigsaws are one of those things that nobody probably knows. When the first one was, they've just been around forever. That's the thing. Why do we have jigsaws? Okay. So a little bit of history.
Speaker: So jigsaws were invented by John Spilsbury and it was originally like a educational tool, but then it was just basically it was a hit. So from there, like it's just evolved.
Speaker: So they're used to teach children about spaces and matching things together create a picture. And so that's the educational side of it. Yeah. But now there is equally used by people of all ages as a leisure activity as well.
Speaker: Yes, is exactly. Yeah. And it's now a really, really growing community. And yeah, it's now classed as is class as a toy, actually. So it's one of the fastest growing toys. And then yeah, and now it's an adult toy, because most jigsaw puzzles are now like marketed to adults.
Speaker: I suppose that means that they're big and they've got lots of pieces. Yes. Yeah. Loads of pieces. There's even 6,000 piece puzzles as well going around that just when, and when they, when they're released, they're completely sold out. Cause yeah, they go like candy.
Speaker: Yeah. They disappear. So this is something that lots of people get involved in. Yeah. Lots of people. And it's not even, um there's no age attached to puzzles anymore that most people would hear when they think jigsaw, they oh, are you like a granny or something? Like,
Speaker: if It's literally for, it's for anyone and everyone. There's so many different types and variations as well. Like Disney is quite heavy and a big theme within jigsaw puzzles. And that is tailored to the to and to an adult because those puzzles are like 6,000 pieces. So that would be something a bit difficult for a child. So yeah, there's a lot on the market these days. Okay, but you're not so much focused on the leisure side of it, you're using Jigsaws as a health and wellbeing tool. Yes, that's correct. Yeah. Mostly health and wellbeing. Yeah.
Speaker: What was it about Jigsaws that made you think there is a health and wellbeing aspect to this? I hate to bring up COVID, but it's, that it I think it mostly solidified for me during COVID when I started doing puzzles again, as I'd done them from childhood, but I hadn't had hadn't done one in a long time. And then COVID brought that back up. And that was in a a time of adversity for most most of us, a time some of us were able to relax and um others others weren't.
Speaker: um and in that time, i started doing jigsaw puzzles again. And i i realized that this was like, this is bit cliche, but this is a missing piece of me. And it was only in that time that I turned to the puzzles again.
Speaker: and I said, okay, this is something I need to keep incorporating it for myself because this is my space. This is my wellbeing. So I carried on doing puzzles from COVID. And then I also had a briefment a few years ago.
Speaker: and in that time i realized, wow, puzzles were like an anchor for me again. and it was like my emotional regulation because in times when you, There's just so much going on. You don't really know.
Speaker: You can't really, you don't really know what's going on with yourself, your your mental health. I really turned to that puzzle and it was my, it was my safe space. So through that is when I've realized, well, yeah, puzzles are really good for mental health and wellbeing.
Speaker: And there's just so much variety. can You can pick a puzzle to suit your need, no matter what day, what time. If you just want 20 minute relaxation, you can do a hundred piece puzzle and it's, it's small, it's quick to the point, but it's been that break.
Speaker: And also depending the type of puzzle you do as well can really vary in, yeah, in your, in your mental health as well. So it's the jigsaw becomes something to focus on and it's the focus on it. I'll just put another couple of pieces in the where the pieces to to actually fit into that space and what matches with something and that was like that intense focus on the jigsaw helps to remove the stresses from your brain because you're focusing on something that is that is quite intense.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. And sometimes It may not even be intense. It may just be a quick, easy puzzle and you just needed something easy and to complete that day. And that sense of accomplishment is is what you needed to brighten your day. Yeah, there's so many different ways the puzzle can can help you relax.
Speaker: Or yeah, like I said, or just have a sense of accomplishment or joy. i like i personally really like to do colourful puzzles. yeah I really do like seeing the colour come together. It really does brighten up my day or my week or my month if it takes me a month to do the puzzle, depending how it is. But just seeing that come to life and that I'm in control of that colourfulness, that also really helps. yeah And I know other people really enjoy pictures, images of like the countryside and that really helps them because it brings them closer to nature because it may not be all the time they're they're able to be outside for nature.
Speaker: So yeah, it's just, it really varies. Does the picture on the jigsaw impact the effect that the jigsaw has on your mental health and well-being?
Speaker: Yes. And what you're saying is that if you have a picture that is something that you enjoy, then that will be have a positive impact on your mental health and also images of the countryside, of the seaside, of landscapes.
Speaker: will do exactly the same sort of thing as a painting of a landscape or a photograph of the landscape or going out into green open spaces. The jigsaw of that type of environment would have exactly the same impact on your mental health as being in that environment itself.
Speaker: Yeah, exactly. It's like the the emotions that come with the image, yeah, can give the same effect as as being where that image is if it is the seaside or the countryside, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, so also the images might invoke good memories as well. Yes, yes, that is true. It could also invoke bad memories sometimes though, doing a puzzle in an adverse time adversity, you just do the puzzle and then sometimes you just break it down and you don't come to that puzzle again because it does bring up those memories. So yeah.
Speaker: You have to put a lot of care, I suppose, then into which image you decide that you are going to create. Yeah. Does that mean that people have maybe two or three trick saws on the go at the same time?
Speaker: Yeah, I would say that's pretty normal, especially if one is a difficult puzzle that you're working on. um And yeah, it's it's a bit challenging. Maybe the colours very similar, so it's hard to sort the pieces out.
Speaker: So that one is what you want as your like mentally stimulating puzzle. your your challenge that you enjoy and at the same time you have a puzzle that maybe you've done before so you know where everything goes but you seek that comfort so doing that other puzzle alongside you are changing between the states and your emotions that you feel at the time so yeah having two but simultaneous puzzles is is completely normal we never feel one emotion at one time and when we're human we have multiple emotions And with your wellbeing, if you've acknowledged that, then yeah, doing puzzles simultaneously is pretty normal.
Speaker: For me, doing one at once is, it's fun, but it's also an emotional connection almost with that puzzle. I would feel it's almost as if I was being unfaithful if I had another Grigswell puzzle in another room.
Speaker: oh gosh. But it it becomes a very personal, you are looking down at this puzzle for a period of time to to solve it. yes And having something else in in the in the corner would be a big ten wouldn't feel quite right, I don't think.
Speaker: But each to their own. If you think it's, you know, have several going on at the same time. What are the practicalities though of jigsaws? Because a 6,000 piece jigsaw is going to take up quite a lot of space. 100 pieces is still going to be quite an area of space.
Speaker: What sort of facilities do you have? Is it the kitchen table, dining room table get taken over? Yes, for sure. So I have, I use my dining room table and I also have a puzzle board so I can simultaneously do puzzles.
Speaker: But the puzzle board even takes room in itself. So um that's another space issue. But usually I am the possible. What I like about it is I can do the puzzle from my sofa.
Speaker: So when I feel I can change, i don't have to sit the dining room table. I can do the puzzle on the sofa. So yeah, it takes up. bring What we're saying and we're having a bit of a laugh about it, I suppose, though, that although jigsaw puzzles can appear to be frustrating, can't find that piece, you know, or there's a piece missing.
Speaker: the actual process of focusing on a puzzle can have a very positive impact on your general well-being and particularly on your mental health because it's removing the things that you were previously concerned worried about and allowing your brain to focus on one individual activity yes It's removing the pressure from your brains. Yeah, exactly that. And you're telling me that this, this is something that lots and lots of people are are involved in. Yeah. Loads and loads of people.
Speaker: A small secret, but um I'm part of a Reddit. community and all we ah all we do is upload our finished jigsaw puzzles then yeah just share what we we're working on next um so yeah and there's the thousands in that group so there's actually a lot of people that do jigsaw puzzles and we're always asking and swapping and even on Facebook there's there's a lot of groups so i wouldn't say it's underground or anything but once you find your community and you find the people you realise there's actually a lot of people
Speaker: who do jigsaw puzzles in their spare time, in their free time. Does it get competitive? It can do. There is a thing called speed puzzling, but that one, they did the puzzles way too fast for me. So then that's when they're timed. They'll all get the same puzzle and then they're all timed and whoever finishes first would like win. And they they would they'll be doing um like 500 piece puzzles in about 30 minutes. And then a thousand piece puzzles, they'll do it in about 40 minutes. It's really, really impressive, super impressive.
Speaker: I was thinking the competition would be like, okay, we're both going to open this jigsaw puzzle at the same time on the same day and see how long it takes to do it. And a month later, someone will be saying, yeah, I finished now.
Speaker: But it's not, it's like half an hour is proper sprinting to finish a jigsaw. Yes. And this it's the competitions are taken really seriously as well. Well, if you're going to enter a competition, you not you're only entering it to win, do your best but to try and win, aren't you?
Speaker: Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Too fast for me. I'm seriously impressed now. This is a hobby that you've you've turned into a business as well. Yes. And part of your business is talking about the community side of Jigsaws.
Speaker: What is your community like that you're building? Oh yeah, so community is Jigsaw and Gist. So this community is is mostly focused on wellbeing and people that are hands-on and creative um that want to, if you love jigsaw puzzles and you're already doing them, then perfect. Or they just want to try their hand at a jigsaw puzzle.
Speaker: It's open to everyone everyone like that. Just a space, a calm space where the people can like disconnect, connect if they want to with others, just a community for people who who want to try something new as well.
Speaker: And yeah, just focus on their wellbeing and creativity. um And it will just be workshops for them to come bit like an hour, an hour and a half, sit down, do a jigsaw puzzle, have a tea, have a lemonade. um Yeah. And just focus on the jigsaw puzzle and focus on, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. So it's a, it's a physical gathering, your community. It's not an online one. It's a physical gathering. So you're meeting somewhere and having cups of tea, coffee, lemonade, whatever it is, but it's a community and it's, it's in London. Which part of London are you in?
Speaker: Oh, so I'm in East London. Right. So most likely East London, but yeah, London's very connected there. So and you most of the time anywhere is fine in London. Yeah. You also mentioned when we were planning this, that you're doing things with employers as well.
Speaker: Yes, noticing how myself and how Jigsaw Puzzles has um unlocked the wellbeing for myself. um Yeah, I do corporate workshops and it's designed to help the teams slow down, like reconnect and just think more clearly in high pressured work environments.
Speaker: And Jigsaw Puzzles allows that to happen. Give people, employers to like slow down, have like a genuine reset at work. um It can also be used to like strengthen team building, communication, problem solving.
Speaker: Like the sessions combine like creativity of jigsaw puzzles along with mindfulness. um Yeah, just a space to encourage like healthier working environments in workplaces. Yeah.
Speaker: Whilst some employers might be thinking, oh, we need to spend an absolute fortune on all sorts of wellbeing type activities. What you're proposing is actually all you need is a couple of jigsaws.
Speaker: And you can use that as the catalyst for enabling people to have conversations that will help them to calm down, to release stress and tension and frustrations and then be re-energized and return to work. Yes, exactly that. Yeah, just give give employees a calm space away from their screen, and the constant pressure.
Speaker: And yeah, just encourage the mindfulness and the well being in the workshop. I'm imagining though, that within a work environment, there have to be some sort of guidelines as to how people will use that jigsaw space.
Speaker: and Or is it a free-for-all? Can people do whatever they want to do? How does it work? Yeah, so it either it can be either or. It can either be a workshop where it is a for a free forall for all, where people can just come in and out, pick out a puzzle as they choose, or it can be more structured alongside the... so ah um So it is a workshop focused on encouraging people to think mindfully and focus and do the problem solving as a jigsaw puzzle.
Speaker: and relate that back to the workspace. So it can be it can be either or.
Speaker: Right. So it's all some very easy going type of solution to the wellbeing, mental health issues that some employers have, most employers have.
Speaker: Yes. Yeah. And it may seem too simple to be true, but yeah, it's it's pretty simple. ah a jigsaw puzzle can really change your life.
Speaker: Just so wondering, like what is your favourite jigsaw that you've ever done? my favourite jigsaw. i would say it has to be... So i'm I'm not an anime fan, but it has to be an anime puzzle that i did. That was a thousand pieces.
Speaker: And it it took me a month and it was really difficult because It just kept repeating the characters again and again. So I had to keep sorting them out by their hair and then like grouping them.
Speaker: And I, yeah, I really liked it, even though I don't enjoy anime, but that's what the focus was. But what made it really good for me, because it it was really challenging, but then it it also allowed me to have the little breaks when I was piecing all the individuals, that the characters together, to then add them to the bigger picture.
Speaker: And then after I was literally nearly done, I realized there was one singular piece missing. And then I left that puzzle up for like two months because I just refused to break it down because I was like, I need to find this piece.
Speaker: And I could not find the piece. And then when I finally broke the puzzle down, ah found the piece in my wardrobe, which is nowhere near the dining table. So that was, um yeah, that was really fun. So that was my favorite puzzle.
Speaker: And um yeah, I'm yet to rebuild it because I don't think I'm over finding that piece so late. Yeah. So how many jigsaws do you have? Oh, so last time I counted, i was in the forties.
Speaker: Um, but I'm trying not to count because when I count, I just see pound signs. Cool. You know, it's really interesting to find out about jigsaws like this. And so something that I think that really as a toy,
Speaker: but their origin is in education and you're enjoying them as a leisure activity, as a toy, but also finding and sharing ways in which that toy can still be used from an educational perspective, but a very practical way in terms of dealing with a very real and current issue for many people and many organizations. And that's using it as a conduit to improving mental health and wellbeing. I congratulate you on it. And I wish I'd had that idea. you know, congratulations.
Speaker: And thank you very much for helping me make such an interesting episode of Rest and Recreation. Oh, you're welcome. It was really nice speaking to you. i had a good time today. Brilliant. Thank you.
Speaker: I am Michael Millward, the Managing Director of Abusida. In this episode of Rest and Recreation, I have been having a conversation with Bethany Uphohu-Heehni, I think I've got that right, the founder of Jigsaw and Gist, about the impact Jigsaws can have on our mental health and our wellbeing in general.
Speaker: You can find out more about both of us by using the links in the description. At Rest and Recreation, one of our aims is positive proactive ageing. One of the best ways to ensure we stay in good health is to know the risks early.
Speaker: And that is why we recommend the annual health test from York test. York test provides an assessment of 39 different health markers. The annual health test is conducted by an experienced phlebotomist who will complete a full blood draw at your home or workplace.
Speaker: Hospital standard tests are carried out in a UKAS accredited and CQC compliant laboratory. You can access your easy to understand results and guidance to help you make effective lifestyle changes anytime by your secure Personal Wellness Hub account. There is a link and a discount code in the description.
Speaker: I'm sure you will have enjoyed listening to this episode of Rest and Recreation as much as Bethany and I have enjoyed making it. So please give it a like and download it so you can listen anytime, anywhere.
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Speaker: Remember, The aim of all the podcasts produced by Abbasida is not to tell you what to think, but we do hope to have made you think. Until the next episode of Rest and Recreation, thank you for listening and goodbye.
