A few years ago, I happened to attend a health conference. At that conference I was asked how I made a recent lifestyle change. I don’t remember exactly what I said, probably something about commitment. Something nagged at me about my answer and I felt I missed an important piece and then it dawned on me – I forgot to mention play!
For example, when my husband found himself looking for a new job, that was a scary time. I wasn’t sure exactly what to say when he came home and made the announcement. I found myself asking, “Do you want to dance?” We did and we kept dancing day after day, just for a few minutes and six months later we were dancing at a wedding and having a great time. I know I was a bit shy on the dance floor in times past, but not now! When I asked my partner to dance*, I was asking him to play.
We play to relax, to learn, to grow, to socialize and build relationships. We use it to communicate and connect with each other. Play can help us change with more ease.
Play IS for children and adults! It is a basic human need, when we deprive ourselves and others from the opportunity to play on a regular basis at home, at work and in our personal and professional lives we leave behind something as necessary as a breath of fresh air.
You might enjoy reading Stuart Brown’s book, Play ~ How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. But don’t wait for the book – go play – even if it is just for a few minutes.
~ Mary
P.S. A long time previous to asking my partner to dance, I heard about someone who did something in a similar situation and it impressed me – I think I heard it on one of Oprah’s talk shows. Funny thing about play, it flows from person to person, if we are open to the connection.
Edits:
- Removed youtube video and changed some text for clarity.12/14/2016
- Edited for clarity 8/7 (I just noticed I never put the year? Hmmm? 5/5/22)
- Edited for clarity, removed the reference to animals and jostled paragraphs. 5/5/22
