I have been in a puzzle rut this week. I usually work on a puzzle every day. I’ve gotten out several puzzles this week just to put them back away before getting far. I’m not sure why I’m stuck, but I thought I could talk about some things someone could do to get out of the puzzle rut.

1. Switching up the piece count. I’ve been TRYING to do 1000 piece counts. But since that doesn’t seem to be working for me, last night I pulled out a Boardwalk Puzzles personal size puzzle and sat and did that. It seemed to help. Sometimes we just need those small piece counts to spark our interest again.
2. Change the style of puzzle. Try doing a shaped puzzle. Or if you really like landscape puzzles, try doing an illustrated puzzle. Get out of your comfort zone.
3. Pick a theme that excites you! Choose a puzzle topic of something that makes you happy or sometime that you’re excited about. It could be a favorite place, a favorite food or even an image that is nostalgic for you!
4. Try a new brand. This is one that I’ve been preparing for the last few months but I haven’t actually dived in. As I’ve been thrifting for puzzles, I’ve gotten puzzles that I might not usually be drawn to but the puzzles are from a brand I haven’t tried yet. Different brands cut their puzzles in different ways and that can be enough of a change to get you out of a funk.
5. Work in a different setting. I usually do puzzles on an all4jig puzzle table in my bedroom but sometimes I’ll move out to my living room and work on my dining room table. Once it is a little cooler here, I think it would be fun to try doing a puzzle outside.
6. This next one is really hard for me to do. Puzzle with others. No one in my family will puzzle with me. I wish my husband or kids would puzzle with me, but they’re not interested. It would be so fun to have someone to puzzle with regularly!
7. Lastly, try taking on a puzzle challenge! Whether that is doing a puzzle such as a WASGIJ puzzle or a Flipsi puzzle try something challenging. A few months back, I asked one of my friends if she would be willing to put a puzzle into a bag for me. I told her not to give me the box, because I don’t want to know what I’m puzzling. All I knew was the piece count. That was quite the challenge! But I did it and I’ll show it to you below.

What would you do to get out of a hobby rut, whether its a puzzle rut like me, or a reading rut or just a general rut?