The Power of Play
As adults, when we’re caught in the webs of familial responsibilities, work duties, financial burdens, relationship struggles, we reminisce on our younger versions - the ones who had less to worry about and more to enjoy. There is a deeply entrenched culture of hustle that we’ve allowed to convince us that any given activity is only worthy of our time if it is productive. With this mindset, along the way of growing up, we let go of play and grasped a definition of success that didn’t leave any room for it. Now, when we hear the word ‘play’, we think of childhood and ‘free time’ but this might be where we’re going wrong. Growing research suggests that play is vital in all stages of development, and the absence of it in adulthood could be quite harmful.
What is play?
At its core, play is any activity chosen freely; with no pressure to be productive or necessarily have an outcome. These activities are enjoyable and done just for the sake of doing it. Play doesn’t just have to be physical; it can be painting, colouring, dancing, or even hiking! There is no limitation to play because it is defined by what YOU enjoy. The common principle of all play is that it is internally motivated and feels fun. This sounds simple but it has profound effects on our mental health.
Why is play important?
Taking part in a hobby or meaningful activity for the simple fact that you enjoy it is incredibly beneficial for your emotional wellbeing. Play fosters creativity through the engagement in an activity that isn’t attached with the stress and anxiety that many roles of our daily life may have. We tend to abandon play when we embrace productivity. Suddenly, a source of enjoyment and fulfillment gets equated to laziness. However, much of psychological research suggests that play improves life satisfaction and reduces stress. Think about it - if you’re stuck on autopilot, waking up, dropping the kids off to school, going to work, coming home, eating dinner, doom-scrolling until you fall asleep and repeating this routine every single day, you’re bound to experience burnout eventually. However, honouring your playfulness and engaging in activities that you enjoy create moments of glimmers. In this case, you aren’t running on autopilot, you’re mindful. This is likely to keep burnout at bay and build resilience within oneself.
Play is a form of self-care
Reclaiming play as an adult can feel silly at first. In fact, you might even find it slightly stressful to make time for it. But, knowing it can build your resilience and increase life satisfaction, wouldn't you like to give it a try? Play can help us reconnect with the part of ourselves that gets buried every time we abandon self-care in the name of productivity.
With warmth and encouragement,
Ruchi.