Although your hopscotch days may be far behind you, you could gain a lot by channeling your inner child when it comes to playing. That’s right —playtime is for grownups, too, and it’s fun and also good for you.
From being playful with a partner or cuddling a kitten to joking with your favorite jokesters, play is anything that a person does just for joy. Further, experts say the benefits of being amused include decreased stress and increased relaxation.
And you know what they say about all work and no play — goofing off may even help you get more done. Play may stimulate your creativity, focus and problem-solving skills, perhaps helping you bust through a mental block and complete an important project. Play is something to be done for the pure enjoyment of the activity — not to seek an outcome or gain for having completed the activity. The positive effects of play are a natural gain to our physical and mental health.
Adults at play
Like anything else that doesn’t earn you a paycheck, the trick is to fit playtime into your busy day. Here’s how:
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- Turn work breaks into playdates. Instead of checking your phone, throw a football with a coworker or go for a walk.
- Play with a pet after work. Maybe that’s fetch with your dog, or a string-and-toy game with your cat.
- Enjoy a hobby. Having a hobby is a great way to spark your creative side and spend time doing something for you. Put together a puzzle, build a birdhouse, work on an antique car or knit a blanket.
- Enjoy a weekend bike ride. As you pedal away, leave your cares behind and enjoy the soft wind on your face as you move through the world in a blissful blur.
- Beat boredom with an evening board game. Clear off the kitchen table and gather your family.
- Be spontaneous with your partner. Show off your silliest celebrity impression. Write a funny love poem. Lie on a blanket in the grass and try to spot animal shapes in the clouds.
- Do something you enjoyed as a kid. Build a model muscle car or buy a coloring book for adults.
- Enlist a pro. Play with your kids, grandkids, nephews or nieces. Together, take a backyard journey to a fanciful castle, pretend to ride a rocket ship through the rings of Saturn or run around a park like there’s no tomorrow — tag, you’re it.
When it comes to playing, quality matters over quantity, and it may look very different for everyone. As long as you have fun and do something you truly enjoy, playing can have huge benefits.
Megan Cada is a licensed mental health provider for the Columbus Psychiatry Clinic.
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