Be Playful!

How to Add Play to Your Life in a Stressful World

Viviana Rizzo

Imagine a time when fantasy and creativity ruled your day.

Imagine a time when you could run, carefree, until you felt the air in your hair and your head in the

clouds.

Imagine a time when jokes, laughter, and fantasy were the only occupation.

Do you remember that doll you were fond of? That toy you stole from your brother? Do you still

remember that story you wrote in your school notebook?

Rigid schemes, inhumane working hours, tasks and duties after tasks and duties, models and

templates that leave no room for imagination. Pre-established work chains, isolating workspaces

and benchmarks to be achieved. And cognitive abilities slow down, fade under the weight of

responsibilities.

What to do, then?

Make space for creativity, carve out time for rest and for activities that allow you to explore your

imagination. So, go back to playing!

I’m serious: several studies show that playing, even in adulthood, helps you keep training your

cognitive skills, and even more. Playing helps you to press pause on the chaos of daily life and on

the stress of everyday tasks. It makes you reconnect to yourself and to your “inner child”, who still

amazes you by the beauty of things and the people around you. For working parents, it can be a way

to better know and build a more meaningful relationship with your children, while you take time for

yourself, as well. For women, playing is a rest from all the burdens and from the sense of insecurity

that society puts on their shoulders.

In general, playing is to take a deep breath, and then restart.

How to carve out time for this activity? And what to do?

1. Define what is playing for you

Playing is not the same for everyone, and not all activities are considered funny or creative by

everyone. For some, playing is just a video game, a board game, challenges, or creative hobbies,

such as painting. Other people prefer games where they can relax, while others prefer games that

train their mind. Again, some like group activities, and others the individual ones.

Before moving on to how to schedule the day so that you have time for playing, take paper and pen

(or your smartphone/pc) and write down what playing means to you. There’s no right definition.

Have fun!

What if you don’t know? You can take a quiz provided by the National Institute for Play here

https://nifplay.org/what-is-play/play-personalities/), to discover what type of play is more suitable

for you.

2. Make room for fun

When there are so many duties, and even more tasks to do. How can someone make time for

playing?? Make playing a commitment in itself. Dedicate time to this activity, schedule it at specific

hours and don't make any plans: that time slot is already filled.

You can dedicate five minutes to playing in the morning, before getting ready to go to work, or in

the evening, after going back home. You can involve your partner, your family members, dear

friends, or even better, your children (they’ll be grateful for it).

3. Reconnect to your childhood

What was your favorite game when you were a child? What was the comic, cartoon or video game

you loved most? Is there any toy or gadget you couldn’t have? Rediscover your childhood passion.

Purchase that gadget that you wanted the most, dedicate yourself to collecting. This is also a way to

add play to your life as an adult: make space for your childhood self in your life.

4. Mix business with pleasure

Still little time? Then, mix business with pleasure! A gaming activity can be useful as well, like a

sport, such as at a racetrack, or more meditative, such as reading, where you can also learn. There

might also be games connected to your job, which could help you to learn new skills and train the

old ones. Again, you can consider intellectual games, where you can apprehend new knowledge, or

playful activities that include daily errands, such as cooking.

5. Hobby as a game. Games as a hobby.

Beyond traditional games, hobbies can be considered as a useful relief valve or source of

amusement, such as writing or drawing, which, at the same time, help people to become more

creative. You can also transform a game into a hobby. Many hobbies are games, as well: chess, for

example.

6. Be playful

You don’t only need to play, but you need to add play in your life, as well. Be playful! Make your

daily errands and commitments funny, be more carefree. Add creativity in your job, break the

schemes. Use imagination, be meditative and intuitive. Life is not only work and stress but also joy

and lightness.

Have fun, always!

I leave you with a beautiful quote by Italo Calvino, a famous Italian author who wrote books like

“The Path to the Nest of Spider” and “If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler”.

“Take life lightly, for lightness is not superficiality, but gliding above things, not having weights on your heart”