Playtime
I don’t know about you, but I have a long list of things I should do to take care of myself, mentally and physically: I should exercise regularly. I should get into bed early. I should eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. While in the category of self care, these can sometimes start to feel like a chore. But what if I added something to this list that sounded less like a chore and more like play. Like… play?
We value playtime for children. Play helps kids learn about and make sense of the world around them. It helps them try on new roles, and stretch their limits. It helps them learn about themselves and others.
In adults, it does all of those things and more. It allows us to turn away from sources of stress. It allows us to use our brains in new ways. And it gives us the opportunity to experience positive emotions - joy, delight, fun.
What does it mean to play as an adult? Parents often find themselves playing with their children; while this can be fun, it often has an overlay of caretaking. We may “play” sports, but if we think of exercise as a chore, or if the spirit of competition is too intense, some of that joy may be dimmed.
Play, for these purposes, is an activity that is rewarding and enjoyable in its own right. It may be caring for children or exercising or cooking, but it may also be doing a puzzle, painting a picture or planning vacations you have no intention of taking. Play is the act of stretching your arms out and receiving joy.
The biggest barrier to play is not time, as we may assume, but our own reticence. How can we justify taking time just to experience joy when we have bills to pay, families to care for, a house to clean, not to mention squeeze in 8 hours of sleep, exercise and healthy food preparation? It is a valid question.
My answer is the same answer that flight attendants give at the start of a plane ride. In case of a drop in oxygen, we are told to put on our own mask before helping anyone within our care. This always sounded vaguely self- serving to me but the reasoning behind it is sound. If we ourselves are struggling to breathe, we are of no use to those around us. In order to help those we care about, or in order to work effectively, in order to be at our best, we have to help and care for ourselves first. And this includes making time to play.
