Aging Gracefully: Why Adults Shouldn't Forget to Play
Work is the key to success, right? It’s no surprise most of us choose to cancel recess. Besides, the experience of play is usually more important than the outcome. As adults, it’s easy to see why we don’t revere “funtime” as a priority and often forget the importance of play. These days, even kids don’t have time for it. However, research shows if you’re not playing enough, you’ve actually got it all backwards!
A culture of achievement and exceptionalism has often demoted play as an elective leisure. However, a life without play is a life without sports, humor, movies, or imagination—a life without art or music. What’s more troubling, play deprivation can lead to frustration, depression, and even violence, according to studies by The National Institute for Play.
BENEFITS OF PLAY FOR ADULTS
If you can recall a moment of play, you know the joy it brings. Even watching someone else at play can be blissful. Its infinite variability makes it tough to define, but play is more than just fun and folly. It can enrich life in many ways. Play can melt stress away, restore confidence, and develop a mastery of skills.
The importance of play is far reaching! When we play, we get to be ourselves. We get to be in the present moment. We get to explore life’s possibilities.
Play improves our relationship with ourselves and others.
It is universal. Play serves many purposes, like connecting us with our inner child and fostering social bonds. It increases harmony and communication effectiveness in relationships. Peter Gray, professor of psychology at Boston College, says, “Play primarily evolved to teach children a variety of skills, and its extension into adulthood may have helped to build cooperation and sharing among hunter-gathers.”
Play is healing.
Lynn Barnett, a professor of recreation, sports, and tourism at the University of Illinois, proposes we play because it’s therapeutic. “At work, play has been found to speed up learning, enhance productivity, and increase job satisfaction.”
Play can help us be more resilient when we need to persevere. Barnett’s research discovered highly playful adults — those who identified themselves as being spontaneous or open to “clowning around,” reported less stress in their lives and appeared to possess better coping skills than those who self-identified as less playful. “Highly playful adults feel the same stressors as others, but seem to react to them differently, allowing stressors to pass more easily,” she says.
Play is an exercise of the mind.
When we engage in forms of play, we ignite our critical thinking, release endorphins, and even improve brain function. Research shows that play increases memory and stimulates the growth of the cerebral cortex. According to a study conducted at the Mental Health Research Institute, play also triggers the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a substance essential for the growth of brain cells.
A pioneer in play research, Dr. Stuart Brown says happier, healthier people use play all their life to become more productive, better parents, and require less health care.
Maybe it’s time to get serious about the importance of play!
Here’s how to make play a priority:
Prioritize play. Play is not an indulgence but rather a necessity to a full and vibrant life. It’s never too late to play! Play is a learned behavior. Incorporate it daily. Include play in all areas of your life, including work. “Play-based approaches to managing work teams and projects have proven to dramatically increase the rate of innovation in workgroups,” according to the National Institute for Play. At work, try a desk decorating competition, fantasy leagues, sports tournaments, or a bucket list board.
Explore! Decide what type of play is right for you. The beauty of play is, it gives us choice. Although we all need to play, we differ profusely in play style. Consider the type of play that is most appealing and accessible for you. What type of play excited you as a child? Can you re-create that? Or what have you always wanted to do? Learn guitar? Fly a hot air balloon!?
Move your body. Even if you missed your exercise for the day or worked-out every other day this week. Moving your body playfully lifts your mood and changes the vibe. So, the next time you’re frustrated, find a moment to wiggle your body like nobody’s watching. More on creating a “No-Excuses” homework out, here.
Make light of your own mistakes. Laughing at ourselves allows us to feel less threatened by our mistake, and relieves our nerves. While being too serious can lead to a lack of creativity and innovation. Laughing at our mistakes shows others around us that it’s ok to make mistakes; it happens to everyone. Next time you have a mishaps, take a deep breath and laugh!
Get outside. Go for a walk. Think about something random that intrigues you. Visit a museum and take in the art slowly, while understanding the new information may not improve you in any significant way. Try putting down your self-help guides, and read a novel instead. Things don’t have to be of functional use to have value.
Play is in our biology.
CONCLUSION
The more we learn about play, the more we realize its ability to create flow and facilitate a life of balance, which enhances all areas of our life. Acknowledge the importance of play and make play a priority. We’re are not neglecting our responsibilities when we play, but rather we’re nurturing them.
Don’t play for productivity’s sake; play for the art of it. That’s when the magic happens.
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