They have discovered that your brain never stops growing, scientists have discovered, every time you learn a skill, new cells burst to life in your brain.
https://www.livescience.com/60967-brain-cells-learning-pruning.html
If continuing to learn and create is vital for cognitive health, shouldn’t adults also be encouraged to play?
Play takes on a different meaning as you grow up. It’s no longer acceptable to roll around in the dirt, daydream, play dress up, and make time to play. As an adult it’s more acceptable to have drinks with friends and talk about how the world is going to shit in a hand basket.
Check out this kid having a blast with saran wrap at the farmers market, while his mother is working away making crepes!
What can we do to change our perspective on playing as an adult? Think about your happy place, what makes you lose track of time because you’re completely immersed in that moment?
Fallene in her playroom
I feel guilty if I’m doing something that doesn’t “feel productive” and I’m not accomplishing something that’s on my endless “adulting” checklist. Not until you’re older and retired, does it seem acceptable to play again, but what about the life in between childhood and retirement?
We’re losing brain cells by adulting and focusing only on the doom and gloom of our adult responsibilities, we have to put importance on play and make creating part of our checklist.
Stepping away from creating daily behind the chair and in designing fashion, helped me understand how essential it is to create, and make time for play. Here are my 3 non negotiables when it comes to balancing adulting with play.
Tips to Balance Adulting with Play
- Make an appointment with yourself to allow for a few hours or a day to do what makes you happy. Something that sparks your imagination and creativity. Scrolling on social media doesn't count and can actually be counterintuitive to nourishing your wellbeing.
- Evaluate where you spend your time. Where can you add more time in your day doing things that make you happy? Everyone says they don’t have enough time, until they are mindful of what they invest their time doing. Observe how you feel when you’re spending time on that task. Is it robbing you from feeling happy? Then try scaling back a bit on doing it. This includes your relationships and who you spend time with. If it’s not contributing to adding happiness in your life.
- Set boundaries and be disciplined with your play time. You’ll notice when you start setting boundaries, you’ll have more opportunities to compromise on those boundaries. The more respect you have for your well being the less you’ll compromise on the time you schedule for yourself.
Often the first task to leave our schedule are the things that bring us joy. When we fill our lives with only chores and responsibilities, there’s no room for laughter, imagination or creativity. When we make time to fill our soul with what brings us happiness, we’ll radiate that happiness and inspire others to do the same.
We would love to hear from you, what are you doing to add play to your life?