Recess for Grown-ups
Up Your Play Game
By Estelle Rodis-Brown
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
As it turns out, this old proverb rings true, far into adulthood. Too much work and not enough playtime can damage your attitude, your social life and — in full circle fashion — even your productivity. So put play to work for you.
Do You Play?
Our society tends to reject play for adults. Play is considered unproductive, petty, even a guilty pleasure. Adulthood forces us to get serious and set aside childish ways. Between personal and professional responsibilities, there’s no time to play anyway — or so we think.
However, play is just as important for adults as it is for kids, and it should not be neglected. Play brings joy and rejuvenation. It’s also vital for problem solving, creativity and relationships.
In that case, what qualifies as play? Kathryn Orantek is the personal training coordinator for health, physical education and recreation programs at Lorain County Community College. She says, “Play is any activity, structured or unstructured, that allows adults to let go of their inhibitions, forget about the outside world and just have fun.”
Considering her background in health and wellness, Orantek “would love to see people spend more time engaging in physical activity while playing, but I suppose you could apply it to games, coloring, puzzles and such.”
No Goal? That’s the Idea
Play is a state of being that’s purposeless, fun and pleasurable, psychiatrist Stuart Brown, M.D., says in his book “Play.”
The focus is more on the experience than on accomplishing a goal. Play can be art, books, movies, music, comedy, flirting and daydreaming, says Brown, who founded the National Institute for Play.
Ultimately, play is a process that stirs up surprise, pleasure, understanding and strength of mind, body and spirit. As adults, we can use play to achieve personal work/life balance, build community, sharpen the mind and keep close to loved ones.
Play Works
Orantek says adults benefit from play physically, emotionally and socially. Play:
- Relieves stress
- Improves strength and cardiovascular health
- Keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously
- Boosts confidence
- Gets us outside of our comfort zone
- Makes us seem more approachable to others if we seem to be playful
People who don’t play may be too serious and anxious. They also appear to be stuck in a rut and unwilling to try new things. Lack of play can affect our bodies, too. People who avoid play may also be losing out on the health benefits of active play through exercise such as biking, golfing or tossing a ball to a dog.
If you’ve become a dull “Jack” who’s forgotten how to play, don’t fret; it’s not complicated.
“People need to not worry about play being objective-oriented; they should just have fun,” Orantek says. ”It can be physical or mental play.
“The key is to set a goal and then devise an action plan on how to achieve that goal. The best bet is to be very specific and schedule it into your life. Even 15 minutes of playing with your kids or your dog outside can reap many benefits.”
Play is a voluntary pleasure, done for its own sake. It offers a sense of engagement and makes time fly. And the act itself is more important than the outcome.
If you forget to play, serious consequences can follow. First, you won’t be much fun to be around, so relationships can suffer. On a personal level, your focus and joy in work diminishes, and life simply feels like drudgery. In other words, all work and no play makes you and your world much duller.
It’s recess time; brighten your days with some fun and games.
Estelle Rodis-Brown is a freelance writer from Northeast Ohio who discovers work/life balance by sneaking playtime into her busy schedule.
Here’s a pullout for a sidebar, Laura:
Be a Player
Kathryn Orantek, personal training coordinator for health, physical education and recreation programs at Lorain County Community College, says there are lots of ways to play. She suggests:
- Bike riding outside
- Using playground equipment at the park (swinging, sliding and monkey bars)
- Playing with your dog outside
- Teaching youngsters how to hop, skip, jump rope or hopscotch
- Playing in a pool
- Bowling
- Playing tennis
- Coloring
- Working crossword puzzles, word finds and other similar games and activities
