Blank Crossword Puzzle Template

We hiked and biked through the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park, and the quaint town of Jackson Hole. We enjoyed great meals, laughter and camaraderie, surrounded by the splendor of nature. Anxiety, stress and worries melted away with each hour.

While hiking a particularly beautiful trail up to an area called Inspiration Point, and taking in the views from the top of that mountain, I kept thinking, “It doesn’t get much better than this!” I began to think; “There must be a way to hold onto these good feelings, even when back home during ordinary days. If we could keep anxiety at bay, we could stay in the moment, and enjoy every day so much more.”

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. It is usually related to circumstances that lead us to feel out of control, and uncertainty about our future. The recession has added to these occurrences for so many people who find themselves anxious about their finances, job security, and the economic outlook for their children. Add this to everyday concerns surrounding huge things like illness, or small things like how to get everything completed on our “to do” lists, and we have a formula for increased anxiety which leads to uncomfortable physical sensations and a decrease in life-satisfaction.

Since we can’t run off to the mountains every time we feel anxious, here are Expert Secrets to Relieve Anxiety. I do hope you get the chance to get away this summer to rejuvenate and relax. But no matter what, try some of the suggestions below to get through your days when anxiety threatens to get the best of you.

Tips to Calm Anxiety

Breathe, just breathe. As soon as anxiety begins to creep up, most people shorten their breaths, and aren’t even aware of it. This can lead to hyperventilating. Deliberately take long, deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly. You may want to think of an assuring saying in your mind, such as “Stay calm.” or “It will be OK.”
Take a walk, or get some exercise. As soon as possible, take the time for a good work out or any type of movement. Walking, practicing yoga, jogging, or lifting weights will all help release the tension building in your body, and give it an appropriate release.
Change your location, and if possible, go outside. Getting up and moving to a different room, or better yet, getting some fresh air, will help distract you from your worries and relieve anxiety. Take a few moments to be in nature and appreciate the wonder of the world around you. You may feel as though your problems are a little smaller.
Listen to music that you love. Music has an amazing calming effect, especially when it’s the type you enjoy most. If possible, sing along at the top of your lungs!
Escape in an activity that brings you joy. Read a good book, draw or paint, or do a challenging crossword puzzle. Anything that puts you into flow, allows your mind to focus on something other than your problems, or releases your creative juices will make you feel better.
If the cause of your anxiety is a problem you might be able to do something about, brainstorm a list of possible solutions. No matter how logical or illogical them may seem, just by putting ideas down on paper, you will begin to feel in control.
Seek professional help if necessary. If the occurrences of anxiety are getting more frequent, the symptoms more intense, and it is beginning to stand in the way of your daily functioning, it’s time to ask for help. Symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, shaking or trembling, or difficulty breathing could be signs of a panic attack. Talk to your doctor. There is always a way to make it better!
Wishing you fitness & wellness from the inside out!

Ellen

Ellen Goldman created her company, EnerG coaching, LLC to help people struggling with issues such as weight-loss, stress management, getting in shape, life satisfaction, and other health related problems that can be affected by lifestyle changes. Subscribe to her Fitness & Wellness From the Inside Out Monthly Tips at http://www.EnerGcoaching.com

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Question by HP Resource: A New York Times Crossword Question?
I’m writing a novel, and one of my characters does the Sunday NYT crossword puzzle every week and times herself, and another character has asked her what’s her best time.

I want her to best time to be above-average, but not as fast as the people who go to competitions. What’s a good “best time” for an above-average (but not expert) puzzle solver?

Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by granny
30 to 45 minutes

Give your answer to this question below!

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Question by Greg G: How long does it take to complete a crossword puzzle?
I need to get an idea of average times for different levels of crossword. I’ve only been able to find expert statistics online.

Best answer:

Answer by in_need_of _help
it depends on you vocabulary and how wel you know the words

Give your answer to this question below!

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Without a doubt, Sudoku has become an increasingly popular pastime over the past few years.  Emerging from simply a cult style game, it has since usurped the crossword puzzle as one of the most popular pen and paper games of all time. Most commonly you can find a daily Sudoku puzzle in your local newspaper, but thanks to the internet, you can now enjoy online free Sudoku challenges from the comfort of your computer. Many popular online free Sudoku websites offer excellent puzzles that range in both size and difficulty so that anyone from a beginner to an expert can pass the time with an enjoyable puzzle.

One very excellent online free Sudoku resource is Fingertime. Their website offers a daily free Sudoku game of average difficulty. Their high tech Flash based puzzles are suitable for anyone and relieve you of the hassle of having to scramble back and forth between using the mouse and the keyboard like many online free Sudoku websites. All you have to do is simply click an open space and select the appropriate number you wish to place there. Furthermore, this website also gives you a timer so you can see how long it takes you to solve the puzzle and it automatically removes any duplicate numbers so you will not get through the entire puzzle and suddenly realize that you placed one number in the completely wrong spot.

Web Sudoku is another great online free Sudoku provider. While it is not as user friendly and lacks the timer that you get on Fingertime, you do get a much larger variety of puzzles on a daily basis. When you visit their online free Sudoku site, you will be presented with the easiest puzzle of the day.  From there, you can select other difficulties such as Easy, Medium, Hard or Evil. This variety makes this website great for any Sudoku player, no matter how much of a problem solving pro they are.  Furthermore, you can find a link on their website which will take you to a variety of jigsaw style Sudoku games. Modernized in vivid colors and brilliant animation, the jigsaw Sudoku puzzles are a nifty new way to enjoy America’s new favorite pastime.

An Australian online free Sudoku website takes the classic Sudoku puzzle and adds a few extras to it.  Firstly, you will notice on their website that there is a little chat area so you can converse with other Sudoku fans from around the world about the current puzzle you are working on. It brings a nice, group atmosphere to an otherwise individual based game. Also, this online free Sudoku website gives you the option to place numbers in squares with a little tag so you can easily remember whether or not you are completely sure about its placement.

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Copyright (c) 2007 SharpBrains

This is a question we often get asked in our classes and lectures.

The quick answer is that while recreational activities like crossword puzzles, sudoku, bridge, chess, poker, etc. are all good for you and better than doing nothing, they are usually limited in their range of mental cross-training as well as difficult to control to ensure the right combination of both challenge and novelty.

If you do them often, what you’re doing is fun and can’t hurt. But it may not be complete. Recent recommendations made by a panel of experts reviewing a poll by the American Society on Aging stated “A single activity, no matter how challenging, is not sufficient to sustain the kind of mental acuity that virtually everyone can achieve.”

Using your brain to solve creative challenges is excellent practice and will help slow down the effects of aging. The limitation with your current brain workout program is that it does not have enough variety or novelty to work out all your mental muscles. Have you ever seen the guys in the gym with the buff upper bodies supported by little chicken legs? The same thing can happen in your brain. Just as you cross-train in your physical fitness routine (mixing cardio with strength training and flexibility) to get a balanced workout, you need to cross-train your mental fitness to exercise your brain through motor coordination, emotional understanding, memory, focus and attention, sensory processes, communication, language skills, and mental visualization.

Furthermore, how can you gauge your improvement if you don’t have a way to measure it? Using computer software to give you a baseline score, workout routines for your brain, and follow up tests gives you a measure of your improvement. So basically, right now you may be doing a highly focused workout using language and memory but with inconsistent challenge and limited feedback. A structured program should give you assessment, novelty, and performance-based challenge while still being fun. That extra mental stimulation can increase the rate of neurogenesis, or the creation of new neurons and the connections between neurons.

A randomized controlled double-blind study published in August 2006 “demonstrates that intensive, plasticity-engaging training can result in an enhancement of cognitive function in normal mature adults.” Challenging cognitive function leads to learning and neurogenesis. So keep doing crosswords and sudoku, especially if you enjoy them, but don’t neglect the rest of your brain!

Conclusion: Do activities you enjoy, but be sure to do things that challenge you with new and different types of stimulation.

Further Reading

- Gamon D. and Bragdon A. Building Mental Muscle: Conditioning Exercises for the Six Intelligence Zones (Walker & Company; 2003). ISBN: 0802776698

- Mahncke HW, Connor BB, Appelman J, et al. Memory enhancement in healthy older adults using a brain plasticity-based training program: a randomized, controlled study. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2006;103:12523-8.

- Scarmeas N, Stern Y. Cognitive reserve and lifestyle. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2003;25:625-33.

- Willis SL, Tennstedt SL, Marsiske M, et al. Long-term effects of cognitive training on everyday functional outcomes in older adults. JAMA. 2006;296:2805-14.

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