Play is NOT a Waste of Time
As adults, we often view play as a waste of time. Society tells us that we should be doing almost anything EXCEPT play. Laundry, pay bills, work, exercise, cook for others, scrub the shower, work more, organize the pantry, dust the windowsills, read a book, write a book, GET BACK TO WORK.
As most of us are currently still processing our lives and emotions in these early years after the 2020 pandemic, the items on this list of “important things to do” don’t seem to be fulfilling us as individuals. So many of us are anxious, stressed, and depressed. Yet, we continue to immerse ourselves solely in activities to do not bring us joy.
Experts tell us that if we want to improve our lives, we need to rest well, exercise, eat well, and reduce stress. I’ll argue that play and playful work or life design can effect change for each of those goals.
Reduce stress: play can trigger the release of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin in the brain which all serve as happy brain chemicals to help us cope with difficult events and encounters in our daily life. Another good source of stress reduction is being in healthy relationships. Engaging in play with our friends and family encourages empathy, honesty, and trust which will all boost positive connections with others.
Exercise: if we view the concept of exercise as an opportunity to move our bodies in a way that is enjoyable to us, exercise will morph from being viewed as a grueling chore into a time for fun. Is lifting weights torture for you? Try cycling! Would you rather scoop your eye out with a wooden spoon than go on a hike? Try skating! Is physical mobility a barrier for you? Find what works for your body and add a fun podcast, book, or music to your earbuds. Try something new (this has the added bonus of more wonderful brain chemicals swirling around in there!)
Eat well: taking a tip from the concept of mindful eating, identify areas of joy for you surrounding cooking and mealtime. If you love to cook, this is probably already a form of play for you that can be translated into a love of good food. If you hate to cook, consider trying a meal kit subscription box or a family meal bag from the frozen food section of the market. Save your energy for enjoying a delicious beverage and listening to a great song while pouring that frozen chicken and vegetables into a skillet. Reclaim mealtime for joy. Once or twice a week, consider not zoning out in front of the news while you eat. If you have roommates or family, consider having conversation starter cards at the dinner table to encourage joyful chats. If you live alone, turn on a great podcast, tune into a movie you’ve really been looking forward to seeing, or book a videocall with a friend and prop up your device on the table.
Rest well: if you consistently add play into your daily routine, your energy levels will be appropriately moderated and when it’s bedtime, your body and mind will be ready for sleep. Other than sleep, resting can also occur during activities that allow us to calm our energy, mind, and body. For some people, video games can be restful. Cross-stitching, doing a crossword puzzle, or coloring can be restful.
Now, before you @ me with “but but but we HAVE to work and clean and DO ALL THE THINGS WE HATE”, consider how to make mundane tasks and hard work more fun to bring a little joy.
Be Artistic: When you are dusting, create little works of art in the dust before you swipe it all away. Vacuum a cool pattern into the rug.
Add music: Curate a playlist for knocking out boring work tasks (I love a good Max Richter mix, John Williams, or just some random lofi).
Get social: Join a workout group and talk more than you sweat. Invite over a friend while you clean out the spice drawer. Give them that extra jar of garlic powder you have. Then go to their house for the same task and score a jar of paprika!
Storify: as you toil away at cleaning, make up stories in your head (or aloud) - pretend you are cleaning someone else’s house and make up stories about what kind of monster would leave dirty clothes directly NEXT TO the hamper and why they have 25 children (they must for all these toys to be everywhere).
Access Humor: read funny books, listen to funny podcasts, be around funny people. Or just text JOKE to 704.605.9181 for a free laugh (your phone plan’s standard text messaging rates apply).
Listen, life is hard. Can we make every aspect of our lives playful? Probably not. But can we take one aspect of our day and add a little joy to it? That’s A BIG FAT HAIRY YES.
BoredLess is here to help you do just that. Reach out to me here and let me know your favorite way to play or just yell at me that you can’t find play or joy in anything in your life (spoiler: I’m just gonna hold space for you and help you find your way to joy).
