The Top Ten Benefits of Play
By Marianne St. Clair
Play is extremely important for humans from birth to death.
Play is not meant to be just for children. It is a form of
release and connection that can tap into creativity and can
allow you the chance to connect with your inner child and
the inner child of others.
Play is a state of mind, but
it is also a state of body, emotion, and spirit. Yes...it is something you
do (playing games, swinging, playing "tag",
playing with dolls), but it is also something you watch
others do, and gain pleasure from simply watching. It is
often described as a time when we feel most alive, yet it is
something we take for granted and may forget to do. It can
be entirely positive, or can be dramatic (such as acting
out a thrilling or suspenseful activity). Play can be used
in many ways to not only stimulate creativity but as a way
to transform negative emotions. We are hardwired as adults
to engage in play, and it is crucial to our vitality to
spend time with play each day. This article will address the top ten benefits of play and
provide suggestions on how you can get in touch with your
own creative possibilities and abilities.
For more information on this topic, download this mp3
interview with author, Marianne St. Clair.
- Play can inspire you to think differently
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits.
The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round
pegs in the square holes. The ones who see
things differently. They're not fond of rules,
and they have no respect for the status-quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify,
or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do
is ignore them. Because they change things.
They push the human race forward. And while some
may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think
they can change the world, are the ones who
do." ~ Apple Computers
Yes, play can be wild and crazy — it can
break all the rules and can crash the status quo and the hum-drum way of
doing
the same old thing. Walt Disney was dedicated to play, and
his willingness to buck conventional wisdom changed the
world of entertainment. He did not allow the criticisms
of the world to get in the way of his child-like
imagination. The next time you are stuck in a rut, pull out
a box of crayons, modeling clay, glue, and scissors, pop in
a copy of Dumbo, and invite your inner child to let loose
and break free. You will be amazed at the way your
thinking shifts to new worlds of discovery.
- Playing can bring greater joy into your life
What
do you think the world would be like if every human spent time each day in
play? I bet just asking you this
question has brought a smile to your face. Play creates
laughter, joy, and a feeling of inner peace. It is almost
impossible to stay stuck, angry, or frustrated when you are
playing “hide and seek” or acting out the role of the
cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz or making mud pies
while digging your feet into the sand of a big
old-fashioned sandbox. Starting today, carve out 30
minutes each day to engage in some form of play, and watch
your joy factor rise!
- Play is known to reduce stress
Studies show that as
humans, play is hardwired into our genetic code. As humans, we crave the
need to play because
it is instinctive and fundamental to human existence. With
regular play, our problem-solving and adaptive abilities
will be in much better shape to handle this complex world,
and we are much more likely to choose healthy answers to
challenging situations as they arise. The reason for this
is that play teaches us how to manage or “transform” our
negative emotions, and it is the foundation for sound
mental, physical, and emotional health. Play can make
work seem like pleasure, and aside from this, it is just
plain fun! It creates laughter and freedom that can
instantly reduce stress and add a feeling of relaxation to
our daily living.
- Playing on a regular basis can increase longevity
Many
adults (and many children) are working from 40-60 hours per week, seeing
play as a luxury that must be“
squeezed into the work week”. This view of play is sorely
misguided. Being play-deprived is similar to being
sleep-deprived. Our genetic code demands that we play,
just as it demands that we sleep, and when we resist this
primal urge, our physical, emotional and mental energies
are deeply depleted.
The loss of well-being is creating physical, emotional,
and mental burnout, and stress-related health problems are
widespread. Infusing play into the workday can keep you
emotionally balanced and can reduce stress, both of which
can contribute to living healthier and longer. The next
time you are feeling stressed as if you can't add one more
thing to your full plate, take a break. Hit the basketball
court, play hopscotch, jump rope, or play a few hands of
cards. You will be adding years to your life in these
precious moments.
- Play can reduce struggle, conflict, and worry
Through the years, studies have revealed that play acts as
an antidote to violent tendencies and is a powerful
catalyst for positive socialization. People who avoid or
have never learned to play may become lost in the world of
fear, anger, and obsessive worry. Play provides us with an
opportunity to choose alternatives to struggle, conflict,
and worry, which are healthier and positive and fosters a
sense of belonging and connection to other people.
- Play can increase your sense of lightness
At play, we are all children. Unburdened by consciousness
or self-consciousness, we are caught in the moment.
Suffused with pleasure, we exult in the sheer lightness of
being. Yet, as welcome and wonderful as those feelings are,
play's value among adults is too often vastly underrated.
It refreshes us and recharges us. It restores our optimism.
It changes our perspective, stimulating creativity. It
renews our ability to accomplish the work of the world.
But there is also
new evidence that play does much more. It may in fact be the highest expression
of our humanity, both
imitating and advancing the evolutionary process. Play
appears to allow our brains to exercise their very
flexibility, to maintain and even perhaps renew the neural
connections that embody our human potential to adapt, and to
meet any possible set of environmental conditions. Play is
an opening to our very being.
Children if unburdened by society's restrictions
and unwritten rules, continue to show us the need for us to
lighten up and BE happy. My own daughter has taught me the
importance of getting on a swing and flying high in the sky
to laugh and get out of any hum drum I might have been in
and how transformable play is.
- Play can stimulate the imagination, curiosity, and
creativity
Research shows that play is a hands-on, minds-on learning
process. It produces a deeper, more meaningful
understanding of the world and its possibilities. We begin
giving meaning to life through story making, and playing
out various possible scenarios. As a photographer and
artist, I use play as an opportunity to see the world with
childlike eyes. I keep reminding myself to see and view
everything as if I had never seen it before. I then begin
to see things with a different and new perspective. On
mornings when I get up early, I will look for the
opportunities that await me such as seeing squirrels
gathering their first meal of the day as the fog rests in
the fields of freshly cut hay and how I imagine what it
would be like to climb the tree and jump from branch to
branch.
If we drive the same way to work, eat the same foods, live
the same grind day in and day out, our minds begin to
stagnate and we loose our zest for creativity. We are
always creating our experiences and our lives, so why not
have some fun and develop a thirst for curiosity like
Leonardo Da Vinci; your renewed sense of imagination could
be endless!
- Playing softens the heart — as the heart becomes
malleable, the risk of hypertension and depression decrease
Recently
a new game was released for the computer using the dual technologies of
biofeedback and computer technology.
This state of the art game called The Journey to Wild
Divine is the first "inner-active" computer adventure that
combines ancient breathing and meditation with modern
biofeedback technology for total mind-body wellness. With
so many of the games today filled with toxic content, it is
no wonder our youth are at risk. This game proves to be the
exact opposite.
Characters within The Journey help you learn to control
your body's reactions. By increasing, decreasing or
synchronizing body rhythms, through various levels of
breathing, relaxation, and meditation techniques, like the "Heart Breath",
you will quickly learn to master the "events" and progress in
the game.
Think about the focused intentional mind
of a child and how quickly they can manifest something if
they are able to freely think of limitless possibilities.
We can learn so much by observing the messages of the children.
You literally
become what you think about most. Your life becomes what you have imagined
and believed in most. The
world is literally your mirror, enabling you to experience
in the physical plane what you hold as your truth ... until
you change it.
It is so important because, as we are learning Quantum
Physics and the power of what we create with our
intentions, the knowledge you gain will help you enhance
your personal growth and well-being. This is just one
example of where you can visibly see the effects of play on
your well-being.
- Play can greatly enhance your energy levels
Life. It
can be hard. We've all been there: overworked, stressed, mentally and physically
burned out. Day in and
day out, you feel like you've "hit the wall" — too tired
to work out, dragging through the day, and continually
exhausted even when you first wake up. We're overdoing it.
It's just a fact of life, and we need to live with it,
right? Wrong! Mental and physical exhaustion is the body's
natural response to physical exertion, emotional stress, or
lack of sleep.
Normally, we reach for a quick fix by drinking coffee,
sugared energy drinks, or resorting to pep-up pills like
ephedrine. The problem is, those stimulants provide only a
temporary boost, lasting an hour at best. Worse, after they
wear off, your energy levels crash, leaving you even more
exhausted than before. Playing safely gives your body back
the energy it needs through laughter. Doing things that
bring you joy and being with other people who are having
fun enables you to keep your energy levels up longer and
sustain more vitality.
- Play can provide you with an opportunity to take risks
When
we are engaged in living our lives as a game and being the player, we begin
to recognize the contradictions in
one's(?) own risk-taking behavior, and it makes the case that
accepting risk is an essential part of a full and healthy
life. Play lets us experiment, explore and take risks with
ideas without fearing the consequences that might happen in "real
life."
For too many of us, what is considered taking a risk is
sometimes nothing more than taking an easier course. Play
helps us release those thoughts that are locked in the head
and the heart. Play also helps us learn our way, develop
curiosity, learn to think, make new choices, discover
special talents, build social relationships, make things
less scary, and experience new enthusiasm for life. These
factors are the very basis for a happy life and are most
critical to our evolution.
The wonderful thing about playing is that everyone is
successful at it. Don't use playtime to test or stretch
your workday. It is a time to feel good about yourself and
each other — and to just have fun together. Perhaps, most
important of all, play is fun. Years later, when we recall
our life, it is the happy times spent playing with special
people that we remember most fondly. •
© 2005 Marianne St. Clair
About the Author
Marianne St. Clair, Life Coach, is forever inspiring her clients
through the Art of Play with fun and practical ways to address
life's many facets such as human potential, relationships, work,
money, addictions, health, sexuality and spirituality. Marianne
proposes some very challenging and exciting ideas that can change
the way we live forever.
Contact Marianne St. Clair by phone 704-658-0353 or email her
direct at marianne@mariannestclair.com.
02/26/05
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