Why is so important to keep playing when we are adults?

Play has always been present in the history of humanity; only at some point we begun to consider it as something exclusively for children. In our modern society, in adulthood, play is usually perceived as a distraction, an unproductive activity or a guilty pleasure. The assumption is that, as responsible adults, we have to focus on personal and work-related responsibilities, so playing is out of the equation. This may be inherited from the industrialisation era, where as individuals we are supposed to have value for what we do, what we produce; so any activity for no other purpose than to amuse and distract is considered a waste of time. From this perspective, a really productive and busy person has no time to waste.

But play is just as important for adults as it is for children. Indeed, The National Institute for Play states that "it is as basic and as pervasive a natural phenomenon as sleep."

Why we should play as adults?

The therapeutic and preventive benefits of playing in adults are already obvious to many. It is accepted that playing is a successful therapy tool to treat cases of depression and anxiety, as well as to prolong and better the lifestyle of the elderly. It is also possible to affirm that playing is a wonderful way to prevent and treat stress. Furthermore, the advances in the acceptance and implementation of play in our daily lives are considerable, we are already talking about gamification and using video games as training strategies and problem solving, aimed at equipping individuals with certain skills or enhancing cognition, memory and spatial perception.

From the perspective of innovation, it has also been stated that play gives us the space to explore and improvise, giving us the sense of freedom and mindfulness that we usually yearn for. Play gives us a relatively secure way to take risks and challenge the limits of what we think is possible. In this way, it gives us the basis to create and to expand. All games, board, role-playing, video are a way of facing the world from other perspectives, from the imagination, challenging what we perceive as absolute and offering us a universe of possibilities. To continue playing when we are adults is a way to enhance creativity in conflict resolution, an aspect closely linked to intelligence.

Dr. Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, has spent many years studying the role of play in everyone, from criminals to recognized celebrities. His research has found that lack of play is an important factor in predicting criminal behaviour! He has also found that play can help couples rekindle their relationship; it can facilitate deep connections between strangers, and promote healing.

What is Play?

Play could be simply passing time with friends, sharing jokes with a coworker, throwing a ball on the beach, dressing up for a costume party, colouring in, playing fetch with a dog, acting out charades at a party, or going for a walk with your family with no destination in mind.

Dr. Brown refers to play as a state of being that is "purposeless, fun and pleasurable". The point of playing is just to enjoy the experience, not about accomplishing a goal. Instead, play is a catalyst for productivity, well-being and happiness.

What is great is that we don't need to play all day long to enjoy the benefits of play. So, how can we add more play into our life?

1. Change our perception of play. When we accept that play is important for all aspects of our lives, from our health to our relationships, we realise that playing is not a waste of time! In this way we allow ourselves to play every day.

2. Childhood memories. It is worthwhile to remember what we used to like to play as children. Think about...What were the activities or experiences that excited you the most? Did you like to play mostly by yourself or with others? How can you include these activities in your life today in some form? For example, if you liked to imagine stories and made characters out of your toys, maybe now you can talk to your pet and say out loud what your pet may respond with a "pet voice".

3. Playful People. If we want to add more play into our lives, if we want to develop a more playful attitude towards life, then surrounding ourselves with playful people is key. There are many reasons why this holds true, but that leads to a whole new topic. To keep it to the point ... instinctively we know that if we are surrounded by grumpy people, sooner or later we'll get grumpy. And the same applies to playfulness ... It is contagious!

So, every time you think that you don't have time to play just remember that you really can't afford not to play.

#lecture #education