Many of us focus so much on work and family commitments that we never seem to have time for simple fun. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we stopped playing. Play is not just essential for children; but it's also vital for adults as a way of relaxing and increasing their vitality.

 

We can play with our partners, our friends, our pets or children. Sharing laughter and fun fosters trust and intimacy with others, strengthening our bonds and making them more resilient. Playing adds joy to life, while at the same time fueling our imagination, creativity and problem-solving abilities.

 

Give yourself permission to play. There doesn’t need to be any point to play beyond having fun and enjoying yourself. Even in the most difficult of times, taking time away from your troubles to play or laugh can go a long way toward making you feel better. Laughter makes us feel good and the good feelings that comes from laughter stay with us long after the moment is over.

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Playing keeps us feeling young and energetic. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “we don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Reclaim your inner child by setting aside regular, quality playtime. Play in whatever way is fun for you. Children will very happily include you in their world of play and it can be easy to lose your inhibitions around play when with children. 

 

There are lots of ideas online as to how you can incorporate more play into your day, the important thing is that you make time for it. Below are a couple of videos which show the value of play and how we can easily incorporate it into our working like, for the benefit of both ourselves and others. 

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