Unfortunately, as a group, adults associate play with childhood and seriousness, work,work and more work with adulthood. This connection and unfortunate association has been troubling me for years. Let me tell you why. Just because we’re adults, that doesn’t mean we have to make life all about work. Just know that why adults need to play and how play can benefit your relationships, job, and mood.
1. It takes more than just work to make individuals of any age happy.
It is true that no one ever approaches the end of their life and regrets not having spent more time at work. Work is simply one aspect of a well-lived life and we are talking about well-lived lives here. And, we are also talking about adults. Yes, we are. There is not a single adult that grows firm and strong from work alone.
2. We need as adults to work, to love, to feel necessary and to play to feel whole.
Playing, laughing until you can’t stand it, and being silly are simply fun. Anything that is fun but not harmful is a great stress reliever and restores energy. So, think of it this way: if you play well then you will likely love better, work better and become more necessary to others who like your refreshing spirit and energy.
3. The ability to play helps people of all ages remain resilient through tough times.
Consider the woman who is going through a rough divorce but gives herself permission to be silly and have fun with her girlfriends. This woman has a much better chance of digging herself out of her misery than her more serious peers in the same situation.
4. There is no question that people prefer to be around others who have the ability to play.
Given the opportunity to hire one of two equally qualified candidates, I can tell you that I have (without fail) hired the more spirited candidate repeatedly. This has served me and the work team well. And, who do we call when we are down? Do we call our Debbie Downer friend or that friend who has a more upbeat and fresh perspective? We all know that answer.
5. We say that all that we want is for our kids to be happy.
If this is actually the case, then, for goodness sake model this for your kids. Kids learn best from observational learning. If they see that adults can play and have fun then they will follow suit. And they will look toward adulthood more hopefully because it won’t look like such a serious drag. Trust me on this. Many, many kids have come into my therapy office and asked what the point of growing up is and if it’s simply fraught with work, work talk and little time for play.
Conclusion
I was clearly trying to persuade you of the importance of going to the “adult playground” at times. If I didn’t do a good enough job then let me know and I’ll send you five more reasons why adults must play.
