Play is serious work. So let's get serious about play.
Have you ever watched a schoolyard at recess time?
Have a look next time you pass by, and you’ll see a plethora of examples of play in action. Play is crucial for children. Besides the fun component, there are critical skills they are learning which contributes to their social, emotional, cognitive development, creativity, and motor skills. Many professionals agree that play is critically important in children’s overall development and growth. Learning new information and skills can be embedded in play, which creates an ease and fun into growing new skills and habits, as well as the concept of cross-pollination (play in one area can help growth and expansion in another area of life). So, all that said, play is important.
photo by George Barker (via Squarespace)
Conversely, have you noticed what happens when children aren’t given enough time or space for play? They become miserable, difficult, cranky, disruptive, energy-sucking creatures. Consider that idea from an adult human perspective. Does lack of play create a lack in our own life?
Consider this: How invested are the children in their ‘work’ of play?
They are damn serious about play and invest their heart and soul (..and lungs!) into it. If other kids don’t play equitably, you’ll hear about it. If someone hogs the play, you’ll hear about it. They are serious, driven, determined and downright dogged about their playtime. Play is a crucial part of their life and learning. And as children grow into adults, somewhere, along the journey of life, we dump play for ‘more important’ things.
So why aren’t adults invested in play?
So truly, how are we grown-up kids any different? When did play time become only for children? Grown animals play, and hell, let’s be real— many humans play at sports or the stockmarket for a living (and make a crapton of money doing it….). So why isn’t play considered an essential part of adult lives?
In North American adult culture, I think we see play as superfluous, excessive, luxurious, status-driven, and not for the serious-minded. Serious, successful people don’t ‘play' around; they work hard and achieve.
“Serious, successful people don’t ‘play’ around; they work hard and acheive.”
Ahhhhhh, and there’s the paradox of it all. All work and no play….well, we all know what that leads to…..miserable humans. And why is that? Because we are born to play. We just need to relearn what ‘play’ actually means.
So, as adult humans, how have we shut down the necessity of regular and habitual play in our own lives?
I find it interesting how we use the word play; one ‘plays’ an instrument, or ‘plays’ a sport….and if you asked a random person to describe the word play, they’d likely say, ‘fun, light, silly, unrehearsed, child-like, goofing around.’ And that answer is correct in a context. But, to contrast, have you seen a pro basketball player or a concert pianist play? We would definitely use different words to describe their efforts… like ‘driven, well-rehearsed, in flow, highly skilled, masters of their domain, high-achieving, all-in, inspirational’….and that would also be correct.
photo by Avel Chuklanov
So…what about play? Why is play important in our daily adult life?
How can it help us improve our lives—both professionally and personally?
I would like you to consider reframing how you see or judge the concept of play. If we see the intrinsic value of play for child humans, why not experience the benefit of play for us adult humans?
Currently, water play is my favourite type of play…
Let’s have a look at the importance of play:
(1) Learning or trying something new is important for developing ‘beginner’s mind’. It also helps you remember the vulnerability, humility, and discomfort of trying or learning something new. It feels absolutely sucko at first, but becomes incredible and exhilarating when you can see and experience the growth trajectory. This new learning experience helps us be more compassionate to both ourselves and others in our world. We allow kids to learn freely; we allot patience, and expect errors within a gradual improvement trajectory; funny thing is, we have this opposite expectation for adults. Adults should be automatically good at something— just because we’re grown-ups. Think about it. Think also about any time you’ve avoided trying something new because you knew you’d suck at it and by virtue, missed out— versus sitting in the discomfort of the suck and having fun anyway. Why are the stakes so much higher with our ego as adults? Without even realising it, we limit ourselves in our own life with this fixed mindset. And it’s absolute hooey.
(2) Active play as an adult keeps you in the present moment (mindfulness), harnesses our five senses and physiology (a.k.a. movement), engages new neural pathway development as we learn a new skill, and releases endorphins (feel-good chemicals) after we have completed play. It also gives our ‘working mind’ a rest to help solve other issues in the subconscious while we are taking that break or gap from work. If you are doing it with others, you are also forging human and social connections with others, which fosters the feeling of belonging and oxytocin (another feel-good chemical).
photo by Vlad Sargu
(3) it’s another pathway to creativity, problem-solving, an outlet to disperse stress, tension, and anxiety. How many times have I come up with a solution to an issue on a run, gardening, or paddle boarding? Some thought triggers another thought or idea, and blammo, my lovely brain churns out all sorts of new possibilities. Psych studies have documented how students need breaks every 45 minutes when learning to help congregate new learning and rejuvenate mental focus.
(4) It’s freakin’ fun, man…. (sad that I actually put this last in my reasons!). Play is damn fun. It can be hard, it can be gruelling, it can be exhausting….but, hey, look at any of those kids after an hour of running wild on the playground and they are physically spent and happy. They have their dopamine and endorphin hit. They emptied it all outside, and now they can come back to the class, invigorated, and ready to learn.
It’s important to reframe play because otherwise, we diminish this critical growth opportunity as adults as unnecessary, extravagant, and gratuitous…I mean WHO has time to play around? There’s work to be done.
photo by Chester Ho
Though truly, the answer really needs to be, we all should. Play is critical for each one of us, young or old. For me, play is attached to joy. In working through depression, I needed to explore and find out what actually brought me joy. How did I execute that investigation? Through play. By trying new and different things, investing time, energy, and focus into sports, activities, and things that I had absolutely no idea if it would lead me to joy or not. Or nourish me in a completely different way than I imagined.
Case in point, my water lessons series. Water play is my effing jam. I am in love with water and anything water-based. Some stuff makes me cold (think Pacific cold-water scuba diving), some makes me barf (think sea-sick on a boat with waves), some excites and scares me (think kite-boarding and surfing). Funny thing is, water has taught me some of my most salient and meaningful life lessons….not after the fact, but in the damn moment. Trying to keep my balance on a SUP board with waves trying to push me off taught me about being present and focus; experiencing life one moment at a time. In twenty minutes, the current and direction can change considerably, so you need to keep aware of your surroundings and literally, GO WITH THE FLOW. You can’t outfight the waves, so you have to learn to navigate with them, work with them and let them take you out or in. And if you are in the face of crosswinds, you know it will take time and patience, and ideally, a plan. You may not end up exactly where you want on shore, but you can always make your way back once on land. It’s all part of the process.
And these lessons and learnings have been so numerable and meaningful, it’s propelled me into new and wonderful things I otherwise would have dismissed or written off— even six months ago. Play has impacted my growth mindset in incredible ways. Old ideation like, “ that’s not me, …or I can’t do that,...or I i’m too old to learn that….” would have been the shorthand for me fearful of trying something new that I might suck ass at and didn’t want to feel that discomfort. And what play has taught me is that discomfort equals growth, and growth equals a greater, happier self. You don’t know what you don’t know. And consistent play has and continues to be one of my most reliable teachers. Dammmmmmnnnnn.
I continue with the experiment of play because it has given back to me so much I never expected. It filled my empty well, lit fires I thought were forever extinguished. And so, the hard work of play continues.
We need play to remember, relax, recharge, and re-experience. Life here isn’t meant to make us miserable…it’s us who create some of our own misery when we don’t allow ourselves the grace to have fun with our life—and just play.
So, if you were to invest some time into play, what might that look like?
photo by Allen Taylor
Let me get all adult and scientific on you first. Remember, play is defined by several criteria:
(1) apparently purposeless,
(2) voluntary,
(3) inherent attraction,
(4) freedom from time,
(5) diminished consciousness of self,
(6) improvisational potential, and
(7) continuation desire.
(criteria adapted from Brown’s book: https://www.pgpedia.com/p/play-how-it-shapes-brain-opens-imagination-and-invigorates-soul)
So my dear, wonderful friend, where are you going to find some play in your life?
Go get your play on! photo by C. Ratusny
I dare you to play.
Further Reading:
*Here’s a great site that is partnered with Dr. Stuart Brown, a leading researcher in play:
https://www.playcore.com/drstuartbrown
*Some secondary articles if you would like to read further on the mental and physiological benefits of play…
