Forget Your Goals! Make Time for Play

As I write this, we are having our first taste of warm spring weather.  last week was below zero and today it’s 48 degrees.  Ahhhh!  What a treat to enjoy and savor the sunshine and warmth.  It was a great excuse to get outside and play.  PLAY?  Sure, I have an excuse to play since I have a young daughter, but play is really important for us adults.  Some of the known benefits include relieving stress by triggering the release of endorphins, boosting the brain’s ability to solve problems and improve memory,  stimulating creativity, increasing our energy, and even improving relationships by increasing our connection to others.

As we get older and have more responsibilities, we can perceive play as unproductive, or a guilty pleasure.  There is a notion that adults should be serious and professional.  But play is important for our overall wellbeing.  In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

Adult play is a time to FORGET about goals and commitments, and to have fun in an unstructured, creative way without focusing on accomplishing a goal. It can include anything from books, movies, music, games, spending time with your pet or just hanging out with friends.

So what kind of play did I do outside?  Maybe you can guess from the pictures.  We built little snow animals on the deck.  My daughter made a penguin and I made a bunny.  What a great way to enjoy the nice spring weather and have a little fun!

How can you add more play to your day or at least your week?  I would love to hear your ideas!