Stand Up - Sit Down

Stretch Calves & Hamstrings

Release Neck Tension

Move Your Spine

Balance On One Foot

“Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

We’re born with a natural ability to play. It’s often conditioned out of us little by little, almost imperceptibly, until one day we realize we’ve become very serious about ourselves and the world around us.

We think that’s the way it’s “supposed” to be – a necessary part of growing up. But being a healthy, productive adult actually requires an ability to play.

The spirit of play keeps our hearts and minds engaged. It can make us giggle, loosen us up, and connect us to each other. It expands our creativity, gives rise to new thoughts and ways of being, and broadens our horizons.

Play allows us to explore and experiment, to let go of trying to “get it right”. It’s fun for the sake of fun.

How do you play? What in your life do you do only for the sheer pleasure?

Do you save it as a reward for hard work? Does one deadline or goal often lead to another with a promise to yourself that you’ll play later?

Schedule 5 minutes today to laugh, do something silly, or be playful. Go ahead – put PLAY on your calendar NOW :)

“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything, than when we are at play.” ~Charles E. Schaefer

When we’re doing something for the pure joy of it, with no regard for the outcome, our ego takes a rest and our heart soars with delight.

A few years ago, I decided my “play” wiring was faulty. I wasn’t certain I really even had it to begin with – maybe I’d been in line for another characteristic when they were passing out the aptitude for play. But if I had received it, I was convinced that years focused on numbers and trying to figure everything out had fried the circuitry.

My ego agonized over the loss and went to work on a solution, but seemed to make absolutely no progress. The more I chased it, the more elusive it became.
 
Then one day, I caught myself playing, making up acronyms with the letters on license plates. When I started looking for all the ways I do play instead of all the ways I don’t, I realized I’d been secretly playing all along with words and numbers, friends and students, strangers and the environment. I’d given it a clever disguise, but it was play nonetheless.
 
What are the hidden ways you play? Look for clues in how you entertain yourself while driving, waiting in line, or doing mundane tasks. Notice when you find yourself grinning for no apparent reason.

Be curious about the child in your heart. The way she plays shines a light on what makes you unique.

“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” ~ Alan Cohen

It’s been said that “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy”, but all play and no work lay the groundwork for Jack’s dissatisfaction and crisis of meaning. :)

Without work, there’s no satisfaction in setting out for a goal and achieving it.  Without play, there’s no fun along the way, and every step can feel like drudgery. The key is balance.

You can create balance by consciously scheduling work and play time, by establishing a practice of checking in to ask yourself what’s needed in the moment, or by creating a way to play with creating balance.

You might cut up colorful pieces of paper with quick ways to get inspired, get moving, integrate, and take care of yourself. Mix them up, ask what’s needed, randomly choose one and do it. These examples can get your wheels turning…

• Lie in corpse pose for 3 minutes.
  
• Spend 2 minutes writing down the craziest solutions you can imagine.
  
• Take 3 deep breaths.
  
• Close your eyes for 1 minute and imagine your vision coming true.
  
• Dance for one song.
  
• Do the quickest thing on your to-do list.
  
• For 2 minutes notice everything you hear, smell, see, taste, and feel.
  
• Think of something you’re grateful for – reflect on what made it possible and what’s possible because of it for 2 minutes.
  
• Watch 3 minutes of something funny on YouTube.
  
• Tilt your face upward and smile
   
  

Add whatever works best for you, and play your way to more balance.

“People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.” ~ John Wanamaker

Our subconscious knows the importance of balance. If we’ve gone too long without resting or changing our pace, some part of us will ensure that it happens.

I can only push myself for so long until something gives. If I don’t take a voluntary break to have some fun, find some humor, and deliberately lighten my load, some kind of “breakdown” often does.

The breakdown can take several forms:

• Physical - illness, injury, accident,
  
• Mental - inability to make decisions, process information, or respond effectively,
  
• Emotional - overreacting, irrationality, anxiety, or withdrawal.
  

Strategic breaks don’t have to be long, and they don’t need to derail you. In fact, the more mindful I am about intentionally taking a break, the shorter it generally is.

Conscious timeouts can be as quick as a breath or two, while the funk that results from pushing may last days, weeks, or months.

List 10 purposeful breaks you enjoy. Include varied time commitments, from moments to hours to days.

Call on them whenever you feel yourself banging your head on the wall (or better yet, before the bashing commences). :)

“The joy that you give to others is the joy that comes back to you.” ~ John Greenleaf Whittier

You reap what you sow. Are you planting the seeds of love, joy, and peace? What do you most often talk about? Read about? Think about?

How can you lighten up and add some joy to your day? What are the people, places, sights, and thoughts that make you smile? When you’re happy, you naturally spread happiness to everyone you encounter. And like a boomerang, it comes right back to you.

Your Joy Style
How do you give joy to others? It can be as simple as a smile, a joke, a hug, a silly comment, support, encouragement, gratitude, a compliment, or even just deeply listening.

Think back on your interactions over the last few days – how often do you remember seeing a smile on someone’s face? If you helped put the smile there, reflecting on your role offers clues about the way you organically circulate joy.

Brainstorm ways you can expand that sharing to touch more people, more often. Experiment and see how your joy increases as you pass it along to others.

P.S. A "fake" smile has the same physiological effect on your body and mind as one that's "genuine" - this is one place "fake it till you make it" is actually good advice!