Puzzle Game
Once upon a time,
a couple months ago…
…in the Discord community, we started the puzzle game.
It was a big hit and it made a lot of people happy, confident, and proud of themselves.
“What’s the puzzle game?” you ask, desperately curious.
“It’s simple,” I say, a touch too excited…
How you play the
puzzle game:
Get yourself a pretty little puzzle. Or, a manly puzzle, if you prefer.
Take all the pieces out of the box and put them somewhere safe.
Do good things for yourself and others.
Every night, count up the good things you did, and add that number of puzzle pieces back into the box.
When all the pieces are back in the box, you put the puzzle together.
Happy dopamine ensues!
Your life improves.
World peace.
How do you earn
puzzle pieces?
There are 4 ways to earn puzzle pieces:
Do something good for yourself.
Do something good for others.
Notice when someone does something good for you.
Count what you’re grateful for.
Ideas of good things
you can do for
yourself.
Have a healthy meal.
1 puzzle piece for every healthy meal.Do some exercise.
1 puzzle piece for every 3 sets.Drink plenty of water.
1 puzzle piece for every 8 ounces (don’t overdo it!)Do chores.
1 puzzle piece for every chore.Go to work.
1 puzzle piece for every 2 hours.Go to school.
1 puzzle piece for every 2 hours in class or studying.Read this course!
1 puzzle piece for every lesson.Participate in the discussion for this course.
1 puzzle piece for every discussion you partake in / every homework assignment you do.Work towards a goal.
1 puzzle piece for every 1-3 steps you do, depending how big the steps are.There are many more good things you can do for yourself.
Participating in the discussion groups can often give you more ideas for more puzzle pieces.
Ideas of good things
you can do for
others.
Hold the door open for someone.
Call a friend.
Reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while.
Respond to others in the group discussions.
Participate in team activities.
Make food for someone else.
Buy food for someone else.
Send someone a nice little card.
Donate to charity.
Support a good cause.
Watch someone’s kids.
Misplace someone’s kids.
(Depending on how much they like their kids).Say something nice to someone online.
(Especially if it’s in an otherwise hostile environment).These are just a few ideas - there are lots of ways to help others!
Joining group discussions can help give you even more ideas.
Ideas of good things
others might do
for you.
Give you a compliment.
Hold the door open for you.
Help you out in a video game.
Support you in one of the participation channels.
Reach out to you out of the blue.
Get you a small little gift.
Include you in activities.
Ask you to continue your story if you get interrupted.
These are just some ideas of nice things other people can do for you. The point of this part of the puzzle game is to notice the good things. We can become so wrapped up in the bad things that happen to us, that we often forget the little acts of kindness that crop up. Be alert and pay attention to the little things that are nice.
Ideas of things to be
grateful for.
A warm bed to sleep in at night.
Having food.
A roof over your head.
Clean, running water.
Modern medicine.
The World Health Organization.
Doctors Without Borders.
Friends.
Technology that keeps us connected.
The recent trend of mental health focus and support.
Grass.
Birds.
Shoes.
These are just some ideas of things to have gratitude for if they appear in your life. Most mental health professionals (at least the ones I’ve met) agree that 21 days of practicing gratitude raises your baseline happiness… and that’s reason enough to do it.
Benefits of the
puzzle game:
Dopamine!
Gamification gives your brain elation!
You’ll feel proud of all the things you did today, instead of bad about the things you didn’t get done (this isn’t just theory, this is how people really felt doing the puzzle activity)!
It forces you to think about what you’re grateful for every night.
21 days of gratitude is scientifically proven to raise your baseline happiness (yay, science)!
You get a visual representation of all the good things you’ve done over time.
There’s a community element that makes it even better!
Puzzle!
How to get
started:
You don’t have to wait until your puzzle arrives - you can get started today:
Join the Discord server and post in the Puzzle channel (link below).
If you don’t want to join Discord, there’s a Reddit post you can comment in (link below).
Get a leadership journal and write down the good things you do every day.
…or - best yet - do all of the above!
Testimonials:
Hi, I'm Art, a server mod. You can call me Drama Daddy. I'll tell you about my experience with the "puzzle activity."
In my case, it helped me start giving weight to good deeds(actions), routines, and self-care. Many of us wonder if we're doing good things, or if we're doing them right.
And with this activity, I was able to see that, to see that my actions can be good, that my routines are healthy, and that self-care matters. Each piece helped me remember how good I can be, whether for myself, my family, friends, or even a stranger.
— Art, aka: Drama Daddy
I think it reminded me of some good things I did. It changed my perspective of things for sure. At first you're skeptical of sharing things but when you hear others you're ready
— David
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It also supports this endeavor and makes me happy because I spent so much time on these designs and love them so much.
You can support the cause and take home a little something for yourself, as well!
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