Evening Wind-Down: Crosswords or Canvas? I'm Team Paintbrush

I once spent a whole evening trying to finish a crossword clue about a 1930s film star. Three hours later, I had the answer (Jean Harlow), but my shoulders were up by my ears and my jaw was tight. That's when I started to wonder: is a mental workout really what I want after a day that already drained me?

Then there's the night I set up a tiny canvas on my kitchen table, squeezed out some cheap acrylics, and just swirled blue and gold for forty minutes. I didn't think about anything. My pulse slowed. I slept like a baby. Since then, I've been paying attention to what the research actually says—and painting keeps winning for relaxation.

Crosswords: The Brain Gym

No doubt, crosswords are good for your noggin. In a 2025 trial, people with mild cognitive impairment who did crosswords actually improved more on daily functioning than those using computer brain training (COGIT trial). And an older study from Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that doing crosswords was linked to a lower risk of dementia later on (Verghese, 2003). So if you want to keep your mind sharp, they're a solid pick.

But here's the thing: crosswords are still work. They ask you to recall, deduce, and focus. Some people find that relaxing, but I don't. When I'm tired, wrestling with a clue feels like another task on the to-do list. It's like going for a run when you're already exhausted—good for you, but not exactly restorative.

Painting: The Stress-Buster

Painting is a different animal. A Duke University study found that even a short session of abstract painting lowered anxiety more than solving mazes—and it didn't matter if you had ever painted before. The key was getting lost in the process.

It's not just in your head either. In a 2016 study, 39 healthy adults who made art for 45 minutes saw their cortisol (the stress hormone) drop significantly. Lower cortisol means lower blood pressure, a calmer heart, and a body that's actually ready to settle down. I've never seen a study showing crosswords do that.

What About Gardening?

Okay, quick detour: if you're thinking, "What about gardening?"—yes, it's awesome. A meta-analysis of 22 studies found gardening reduces depression and anxiety (Soga, 2017). But it's not always practical. It's dark, raining, or you don't have outdoor space. On a Tuesday at 9 PM, painting is just easier.

My Verdict, in Plain Terms

Here's what I'd do: keep a crossword app for mornings when you want to wake up your brain. But for the evening wind-down, grab a brush. You don't need fancy supplies—a $5 watercolor set and a piece of paper will do. Put on some music (even better: a recording of birdsong—one study found just six minutes of it lowered anxiety). Then let your hand move without judging yourself.

If you're the type who genuinely enjoys crosswords and they calm you down, by all means, keep at it. But if you're looking to actually lower your stress before bed, the evidence—and my own tense shoulders—say pick up the paintbrush.