Play more hurt less.
I came across a very interesting article about how free play during childhood is critical to getting a good job. I was so excited that I decided to share this information with you rather than posting the next article in the Why don't we move more? series. Check out the full article here. I'd highly recommend it to anyone regardless of whether you're a parent or not. Don't let the title fool you. Play is also critical to us as adults as well. Let me explain.
One of the quotes from the article is: "Play is a primary, indeed primal, way we learn to understand and experience the world around us." While the article focuses on children and how they benefit from play I believe these same qualities and benefits can apply to adults. For children free play helps establish the foundations for social, emotional and academic learning. I would go a step further and assert that free play also establishes the foundation for physical development as well. Per previous blogs we've seen how because of our curiosity to experience the new world we have become a part of we start moving. We start learning, teaching ourselves really, to move. The process of learning to move is linked to cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. It's a great vehicle for developing these qualities and competencies.
When we learn to move as a child we are expressing our curiosity and creativity. The process is about experiencing ourselves, our bodies and our environment. We experience our emotions, our intellect and our physical selves through the sensations we feel. The process is intrinsically motivated instead of extrinsically. The focus is on the experience and not predetermined goals or desired outcomes. The focus is inward and so the rewards are internal rather than external. Internal motivation is more self-sustaining and reinforcing. There's a better chance that you will continue participating in any activity that is motivated internally. Maybe this sounds familiar if you've read the previous blogs. I believe the key to being active physically is not what goals you achieve or improvement in performance you make. I believe that what will fuel a desire to be physically active, or participate in any activity long-term, needs to be internally motivated. Play fits that description.
When movement is playful and experience oriented you create the conditions necessary for internal motivation. You also continue to develop not just physically but also cognitively, emotionally and spiritually as well. It fuels our creativity, fosters our ability to problem solve, enhances our emotional control, and helps us develop social skills just as it did when we were children. It's a pretty amazing process don't you think? It can also help us reduce or eliminate physical and emotional pain. The benefits are enormous.
The take away? More play will improve every aspect of your life. If you don't know how to play as a friend of mine said she didn't know how to play and her children were more than happy to teach her. Here are a couple of links for some more ideas: http://www.laughteronlineuniversity.com/40-ideas-to-experience-childlike-playfulness-as-adults/, https://daringtolivefully.com/more-fun-and-play-for-adults. For more reasons why play is beneficial for adults try these two links: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/benefits-of-play-for-adults.htm & https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/why-its-good-for-grown-ups-to-go-play/2017/05/19/99810292-fd1f-11e6-8ebe-6e0dbe4f2bca_story.html?utm_term=.6826be4cdd6a. Check them out and let me know what your experience is. I'd love to hear your stories.