When we think of the word “play,” we often think of children building blocks, dressing up dolls, or creating an imaginative world out of whatever they can get their hands on. But play is not reserved for kids alone and in fact, play can be a healthy source of fun, levity, and release for people of any age, including adults.
But play isn’t just about having a good time. Adults stand to benefit from engaging in playful activities on a regular basis in many ways tied to overall well being. In this article we are going to share 5 reasons why play should be a part of your day.
Relieves Stress and Boosts Mood
We all know stress is bad. Not only does it feel awful, being under stress leads to all sorts of undesirable physical and emotional conditions. It increases our chances of becoming sick, hinders our ability to get good sleep, damages our mental well being, decreases our ability to manage our daily obligations effectively, and can even lead to chronic health problems that are quite serious.
We all want less stress in our lives. Engaging in play is one way to relieve stress and in turn, boost our mood for the better. When we play we laugh, smile, and release endorphins, all of which help clear the stress hormone, cortisol, out of our system. This feels good emotionally but also improves our physical health, too.
Adult coloring books are especially effective at stress reduction. So go ahead! Grab that box of crayons and color your way to less stress and more smiles.
Connection with Others
If we didn’t understand the necessity for connection with others before, the pandemic really brought that basic human need to the forefront. Playing with others creates a sense of community, togetherness, and bonding, all of which contribute to feeling our best.
When we come together to play, our bodies release oxytocin, which is sometimes referred to as the love hormone. It makes us feel close to those around us, facilitates trust, and promotes a general sense of well being.
One way to get more group play in your life is to gather around a board game. The team camaraderie, sense of accomplishment, and of course, all the laughing and high fives along the way are a great way to bring out the benefits of play.
Unleashes Creativity
We all rely on creativity in our lives to some extent. Whether you’re working in a creative field and need to come up with great ideas every day or you’re trying to figure out what to whip up with the random things you have left in the fridge at the end of the week, creativity is something we all need to tap into regularly.
Play gets us into the creative part of our brains. As we do things we don’t normally do, we tap into that part of our mind that daily life tends to quiet down. Playing opens us up to new experiences and thoughts, which we can bring into other areas of our lives when we want to access our creativity.
Good old fashion imaginative play is one of the best ways to tap into your creative juices. If that’s not your thing, movement that allows you to be quiet, like taking a walk in the middle of the day or dancing around the kitchen, are also super effective on the creative front. After the play is done, you may feel a flood of ideas coming your way that you can use in your daily life.
Improves Brain Function
Want to stay more focused and sharp when you are working or solving challenges in your personal life? Regular play can help with that, too. Immersing yourself in an activity that challenges you to think in an atypical way has been shown to boost focus, productivity, and even mood.
Some types of play require us to strategize, analyze, consider outcomes, and think deeply….just in different ways than we typically do in our daily lives. And this works our brains out, just like exercise, making our minds more fit and able to focus on other things when playtime is over.
Puzzles, strategy games like chess, word games, and number games are all really great ways to work out the mind every day and gain benefits in real life as a result.
Increases Confidence
Confidence is a game changer. It makes us feel like we can take on anything, achieve all of our wildest dreams, and be on top of everything no matter what comes our way. It is a trait that seems to exude from those who have it and it’s magnetic! We all want to feel confident as we make our way through the day and turns out, playing can help cultivate that confidence.
Every single time you succeed, you deposit a little something into your internal confidence account. If you hit the ball back in a tennis match, get a little deeper into that pose than you did last time you were on the mat, or manage to tag that kid who has super fast feet, you are succeeding. These small successes can add up with big impact. Over time, you’ll feel unstoppable on and off the playing field.
Play that incorporates a little friendly competition is great for boosting confidence. Team or partner sports are a fun way to get wins and feel great. Movement practices like dance, Pilates, Barre, or yoga contribute to confidence, too.
At Love Pilates we love to incorporate playfulness, laughter, and joy into our confidence-boosting movement sessions. And on top of that, we have a strong community that fosters that sense of togetherness and belonging that improves the lives of our clients in and out of the studio. Check out our schedule here [SCHEDULE] and let’s play!
