For children, playtime is serious business. As kids grow, playing helps develop thinking and reasoning skills, build social connections, improve motor skills and other physical abilities, and contributes to their emotional well-being. Yet for some reason, once we’re grown, most of us leave play in the past.
That’s a mistake, says Alexis Federman, D.O., a primary care physician at Henry Ford Health. “With our busy adult schedules, play might not seem like a good use of our time,” Dr. Federman says. “But there are good reasons to reconsider.”
Dr. Federman explains why play is beneficial for adults—and how to embrace your playful side.
What Is Play?
Hide-and-seek, dressing up dolls, creating obstacle courses in the backyard…in childhood, it’s pretty obvious which activities count as “play.” In adulthood, play can be harder to spot. But it’s there if you look closely enough.
Playful activities share a few features. Play is often imaginative and creative. It’s typically an activity that you do because you want to, not because you have to. And, of course, it’s fun. “Play is often about the process itself, not about the result,” Dr. Federman says.
Benefits Of Play
By design, play comes with a heaping dose of joy. As if that’s not enough, play provides other benefits, too. Being playful can help you:
- Relieve stress: Making time to do something that’s simply fun can boost your mood and help you manage stress.
- Feel accomplishment: Play provides opportunities to master a challenge. That helps you feel pride and a sense of a job well done—even if the “job” is nothing more important than completing a 1500-piece puzzle or winning a round of trivia.
- Tap into your creativity: Research shows that creativity increases happiness. Unserious activities such as dancing or making art can help you strengthen your creative “muscles.”
- Practice mental flexibility: Many types of play require flexible thinking. Building a model plane or playing chess forces you to stretch your brainpower—a skill that can help you in serious endeavors, too.
- Gain insight: Have you ever noticed some of the best ideas come in the shower? Often, our brains solve problems when we’re not thinking about them. Taking time for play can give your mind a break from challenging tasks—and in the process, play often leads to unexpected insights.
Ready To Play? Here’s How To Start
Even if you’re on board with the idea of play, it can be hard to get in the habit. These tips will help you get going.
1. Get out of your own way.
“As an adult, play can feel impractical or even silly,” Dr. Federman says. Try to shake off your self-consciousness and let yourself get lost in the fun. Let go of any expectations of how things “should” turn out and see what happens. The joy is in putting paint to paper—not in creating a museum-worthy masterpiece.
2. Consider different types of play.
Play comes in all shapes and sizes. Think about your personality type when considering how to spend your time. Psychological research suggests most play activities fall into one of these broad categories:
- Other-directed: If you enjoy interacting with others, you might enjoy other-directed activities such as group board game nights or joining a knitting circle.
- Lighthearted: People drawn to lighthearted play tend to find humor in everyday situations and are good at rolling with the punches. Fans of this style of play might find fun in activities like karaoke or charades.
- Intellectual: People who enjoy intellectual play like to solve problems, test new ideas and engage in clever wordplay. Try solving a crossword puzzle or playing a complicated strategy game.
- Whimsical: Those who enjoy unusual activities and find humor in strange situations tend to enjoy whimsical play. They might tap into their playful side by writing a fantasy story or playing practical jokes on friends.
3. Get to know your inner child.
Unsure where to start? “Think back to the things you used to do as a kid,” Dr. Federman suggests. Were you happiest on a bike? Painting pictures? Revisiting activities that you used to love is a great place to start looking for ways to play. But don’t be afraid to put an updated spin on your old favorites: If you liked playing with blocks as a child, for instance, you might find that building more grown-up scale models brings you joy as an adult.
4. Make time for playtime.
You’re busy, but you’re not too busy to enjoy yourself. Look for small opportunities to play throughout the day. Put together a puzzle after dinner instead of watching TV. Take a break from your typical gym routine to go for a hike in the woods. When you take your kids to the pool, dive in with them.
“Play is all about living in the moment,” Dr. Federman says. “It can take practice to get beyond your self-consciousness, but it’s worth the effort.”
Reviewed by Dr. Alexis Federman, a primary care doctor who sees patients at Henry Ford Medical Center - Livonia.
