Ever since I was a young man I’ve loved riding motorcycles. I’ve talked to you about my love of Harleys before. But nowadays I am realizing that I don’t just enjoy riding and taking time to play–I really need to play. And often.
My natural tendency is to be a workaholic, and I tend to live with a sense that I have to keep this planet spinning on its axis. If I take too much time off we’re all doomed! Crazy right? But a little spin on my bike, some wind in my hair, and things quickly get better.
Let me give you 7 reasons why most all of us–leaders, parents, students, everyone–need to play more.
1. Taking time to play shows that we trust that God is in charge. I’ve already shared how I can feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. Playing with my kids or friends, and unplugging, is an active way to express faith that God is great and I don’t have to be in control.
2. It takes you away from the constant need to make decisions. Some days I feel like I make a thousand decisions. And if your standing in front of me you may feel in that moment like you have one one-thousandth of my attention. Not good! Playing usually involves very little critical decision-making and recharges your emotional bank account.
3. Playing nourishes creativity and helps us think outside the box. Barbara Fredrikson of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has shown that positive emotions help increase our ability to reason and connect with others. Put another way, play may very well be a way of unsticking our creativity, helping us to find new ways to return to a challenge we are facing.
4. Playing is good for your health. Laughter is a common result of play. According to an article I read in Psychology Today, studies suggest that, in addition to being enjoyable and relieving feelings of stress and tension, laughter can also improve our physical health. Laughter and fun are linked to lowered stress and may also improve heart health. Awesome!
5. Playtime refocuses us from head to heart. When we play and “turn off” our mind for a time, we reconnect to our inner self. Prolonged focus on one thing, and heavy responsibilities, can lead to a myopic and pragmatic view of the world and the people around us. Time having fun allows us to move from a “task” focus to once again process the things that are truly important to us.
6. Time spent playing with others connects us to the culture. When I’m tired and drained I can tend to just collapse in front of the television in an isolated state. And sometimes that’s fine. But getting out and playing with others connects me to the things that folks in my neighborhood and community find fun. It expands my interests and is a real relationship builder.
7. It moves you from the numbness of the ordinary to a heightened state of mindfulness. Play makes us present. It breaks the cycle of the mundane. Focusing on something we find fun and frivolous brings us into the moment and into a new sense of “now”. This can free us from the often negative emotions associated with dwelling on problems and the past, and clear the road for what lays ahead.
A regular rhythm of unplugging from regular responsibilities and playing reminds us of the things that are truly important. It won’t necessarily fix every challenge we face, but it sure gives us perspective.
So if you’re feeling a little strung out, stressed or stretched, the next best time to get away and play is now. Go ahead. That project will be there waiting for you when you get back.
What is it for you? What types of things do you find fun to do that help you live a healthy and balanced life?
[Comments from my old website/blog were not carried over to this new one. Please leave me your thoughts below.]
