Why is play so important?
Sometimes I think we take ourselves too seriously and
lose sight of what life is about. When we are ill, or stressed and unhappy, the
weight of these emotions can make us feel wretched. There have been countless projects looking at
happiness and how we find it, but what if the truth is that it isn’t outside
our own bodies and minds? Looking elsewhere is just short lived and
dissatisfying without first going inside ourselves to find the solution.
Being Present
Through play, we can shift our perspective to the
present moment. Try this - think about your surroundings, what you can see and
hear. Imagine the feeling of your clothes on your body. Try and ignore any
physical or mental pain by pushing it to the background as much as possible.
Breathe deep, imagining you are breathing in good healthy air and expelling any
negatively when you breathe out. Do this deeply three times. Expect this to
make you feel good – it doesn’t have to be a miracle cure, but enough to feel
better than before.
Try This...
Now think about what you like to do that is playful.
What games do you like to play? What activities make you smile? Sit back and
imagine you are doing the activity in your mind’s eye. See yourself having an
amazing bike ride, or football game, or knitting a beautiful jumper – whatever
the thing is, imagine it and let the feeling flow over you. Imagine you are
doing your activity with someone special – a film star you admire, a pop star,
an author or a sport’s person, your best friend or family member. It doesn’t matter
how many people you imagine, just enjoy the pleasure of the game. Let the
scenario play out. What do they say and do? What is fun and goes well? What is
the outcome?
Breathe deep and enjoy the thoughts you allow in your
head. Let them flow for no reason other than enjoying the imagination you have.
Allow yourself these fantasies whenever you have a quiet moment. At the end of
your time, let the pictures drift away and thank your mind for creating them.
Be clear that this is a form of playing and is not real – it is just for fun.
Adult and Child Play
Feeling better on the inside can help us when we
share play with others. If you have children in your family, ideally have a
play session with them. Borrowing them from friends can also be an option (with
permission!). Don’t control the play. Let the child be the leader and you are
their play slave. Listen carefully to their direction and follow it. Before you
can analysis what is happening, you will tap into your innate knowledge of how
to play and will start enjoying yourself. If you try to control the play, your
adult part will take over and the authentic part of play will not work. Also
try not to become childish - just be childlike (if you allow yourself to be
childish, you’ll feel out of sorts and it won’t be much fun). Go with the child
and you will be amazed how it feels. Remember this feeling when you next want
to play without children.
Sport and Hobby Play
Play without a child is about the balance between
what goes on in your head (your imagination) and what you physically do. Team
sport is a good way of exploring this as you can use both parts to physically
experience the play with other people, which then will trigger your internal
play. If you don’t like team sport, allow your play to be day-dreamy,
refreshing and challenging (if it’s a quiet personal play such as putting a
jigsaw together, or crafts, or a solo sport like cycling or swimming may be).
If your play is losing yourself in a book or film, once again allow your
imagination to take the concept further. What are the characters doing in 10
years’ time? Who would you be in the story? Share the theme with someone else
and discuss what you did and didn’t like. Book clubs exist for this type of
play. If possible, try and find other people who also like your form of play
and do it with them, or talk about it with them. Allow your heart to be light
and enjoy the exchanges. Delight in the feeling of doing something that makes
you feel curious and interested in what is happening around you. Engage in your
play in as many ways as you can and you will have respite for the difficulties
in life and the pains in our bodies and minds.
Enjoy Your Play Time!
Thinking about play in this way, is at the heart of
what we do at The Hands-On Company. Sometime just by giving us all permission
to dream and engage in play, can be healing and enjoyable for all ages.
