Article: Make Time to Play

Make time to play... “The opposite of play is not work. It’s depression.”* Does that surprise you? You may have heard the saying that “All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy.” Perhaps we could add, “All work and no play, makes Jill feel exhausted and overwhelmed.”

Play is an antidote for depression When you look back at your fondest memories, you may find they are often memories of times when you played. Times when you found yourself having a good belly laugh, when you played games or did something fun with others! Each person has their own memories and those happy, playful times interwoven into the day to day stuff of life, add interest and vitality. What do you remember from your childhood? Was there time spent camping, fishing, playing board games, swimming, playing tiggy, water fights...? The list of possibilities is endless and most of these activities are very inexpensive. Many would cost as little as 5 to15 minutes. Children are wonderful teachers and they are programmed to come along when we most need to be reminded to take time out from the responsibilities of living, earning and raising families. We miss out on moments of connection when we tell them, “We’ll play later” or “I don’t have time right now”. Playtime creates connection It’s so easy to place greater value on working hard or getting everything done and forgetting about the equal value of enjoying healthy fun and laughter. This is a big part of the work-life balance equation. Working too much can result in too little sleep, short tempers and strained relations. The antidote may be simply making time to play. These moments of connection build memories that last a lifetime. Can you put a play date on the calendar this week? Decide on an activity and honour it as top priority. Ideally, it will involve others in the family. Perhaps it will be a picnic on the weekend, simply making a game out of the veggie prep or spending an hour playing games with the family. Whatever it is, it will be time well spent! So........ Plan a play date Make it simple and inexpensive so no one is left out Let the children lead the way “A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” Roald Dahl