The Medicine of Play

“Play is the exultation of the possible” – Martin Buber

Play is almost anything that brings joy and stimulates the imagination. Play is a necessary ingredient in fostering well-being and a fulfilling life. It is not just something we do. It is not a waste of time, nor are we doing nothing when we play. Play (and playfulness) is also an attitude and gives us the opportunity to be child-like without necessarily being childish. Although we often think of play as the opposite of work, there are great commonalities between work and play. Like work, play fosters creativity, learning, and teamwork. A word often used in referring to play, “recreation”, can be seen as “re-creation” and emphasizes the interaction between play and creativity. Both work and play are strong determinants of health.

Play, games, and sport energize and enliven us. Play can ease burdens, provide pleasure, renew optimism, and open us to new possibilities. Play and games provide a “safe” environment to learn, develop new skills, and even character qualities. We play games in the spirit of their realness, i.e. we take them seriously, even as we enjoy them. We know that games matter, but at the same time they don’t matter! They are applicable to life, but don’t necessarily carry the weight of “real life.” (See Stuart Brown, M.D. and Christopher Vaughan, Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul, Avery, 2009.)

Tim Gallwey in his book, The Inner Game of Golf, (Random House, 1998) points out three aspects of games: performance (score, competition), learning (development of skills and qualities), and experience (enjoyment, companionship). Often performance dominates our play. It is important to have learning and experience goals as well as performance goals. Knowing why you play, what draws you to play, and what play means to you can bring new perspective and possibility to your play.

“You can discover more about a person in one hour of play than in a year of conversation” – Plato

From our play and recreation we can learn how to react to problems and obstacles, how to deal with difficulties, how to abide by the rules and “play well with others” without the demands and roles of the workplace, or the intensity of intimate relationships. Play promotes opportunities for mastery and competence. It is time that can be spent with others or in nature. It fosters cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health as well as new neural connections in the brain. Play can be exercise, part of a weight management program, an antidote to anxiety, the “blues”, poor sleep patterns, and a bad attitude – or simply be good fun!

Regardless of age, gender or circumstances, from quiet mind games to strenuous physical activities to being a fan of organized sport, some form of play is good medicine for body, mind and spirit. Be generous to yourself and go out to play. You know what they say about “…all work and no play….”  Well it is true and you can do something about it.