/plei/ – play (verb) To engage in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
For us mortals, a life without movement leads to major health risks like depression and other stress-related diseases. In recent years, there have been countless studies on the importance of play in our mental and physical health.
Simply said, if we keep moving and engage in physical activities, we develop problem solving abilities and our behavioural flexibility improves. Not only is movement a good way to handle oneself when feeling bogged down, and unable to think, or communicate clearly; but it’s also a great way to recharge, clear your head, and refuel.
So how to integrate play and movement in our day-to-day hustle?
1. Play when anxious
When you are feeling anxious, try moving to a physical space which is away from your current workspace or find a solid object like a ball to play around with your hands. Either of these techniques can help in entering a play state. Engaging in sensory experiences activates new stimuli for your brain to focus on and calms you down in the process.
2. Play as a mindset
Whenever you feel stuck, play can help you discover more of your strength and unique personality traits. Play is rooted in exploration, allowing us to discover or rediscover things about ourselves. So, in moments when you feel stuck or lost, try this experience. Think back to when you were kid and ask yourself what kind of play you enjoyed the most.
Was it constructive object play or fantasy play?
Was it functional play?
Did it involve body movement or games with rules?
According to psychologist Jean Piaget’s cognitive development theory, children learn by interacting with their environment, from which they acquire maturity and skills towards adulthood. The way we play as kids has an influence on shaping our future adult identities.
For example: if you loved playing with dolls as a child and enjoyed taking care of them, it can be translated into tending to plants when you feel aimless. If you like construction-based toys like building blocks, so when you feel stressed you can replicate that play by organizing your room or baking. Play as a mindset also helps in building resilience to unforeseen challenges and our belief in our own capabilities. Game researcher Nicole Lazzaro, found that gamers spend nearly all of their time failing and interestingly gamers actually enjoy failing. It turns out that the more we fail, the more optimistic we become about our odds of success.
Try adopting this play-as-resilience mindset to help you move through any fears you may be having. The more you get knocked down the more you try and the more chances you give yourself to get back up.
3. Play as a connection
Play is a tool that allows you to connect with others when you feel alone. As humans, we are social creatures by nature and we are endlessly curious. Play sparks our innate desire to share thoughts and experiences with each other in a casual and open setting. People are more comfortable sharing their vulnerabilities in such open settings. Allowing a much more enriching and engaging play experience for all involved. Try to use play as a way to build up stronger bonds with your friends and family or people you want to know better. You can do this by actually playing a game or by just engaging in conversation.
No wonder our ancestors came up with the proverb, all play and no work makes Jack a dull boy. Keep playing for a healthier and enriching life!
Authored by: Riti V. Srivastava
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