When did you last take time out from your every day life and responsibilities to play like you did as a child? Can you even remember what you liked to do?
When life gets busy it’s not always easy to find time to connect with your inner child but according to The National Institute For Play the benefits are huge. They include:
- A healthier immune system
- An improved sense of connectedness
- Increased empathy
- Boosted creativity
- Reduced stress (especially when paired with laughter)
- A positive outlook on life
5 easy ways to put the fun into your every day…
1. Organise a creative date with yourself: for example, you could visit an exhibition or art gallery, go for a walk with your camera, go pottery painting, pick up your guitar, create a vision board, write a letter or poem, or make a gift for someone special.
2. Create a ‘play’ box/draw: fill your box or drawer with things that will inspire you to play more often. This might include:
- The jigsaw you’ve been wanting to do for years
- An adult colouring book — like art therapy, colouring can help adults to cope with the daily stresses of life through the act of mindfulness — an active, open attention to the present.
- LEGOs. Take 20 to 30 pieces and see what you can build in 5 minutes.
- Sketch book and pencils to doodle and draw.
- Juggling balls or bean bags to practise your juggling technique.
- Play doh and cut straws, bottle tops, sticks, leaves, cotton buds, dry pasta, pipe cleaners, marbles — any small objects you have lying around the house — and give yourself five minutes to see what beautiful scenes/landscapes/characters you can create.
3. Get out of your comfort zone: Toddlers take risks all day long. As we mature, we tend to stay in our safe place. Your day will be so much more exciting if you see the queue as a chance to make new friends, or your walk to walk as an opportunity to gather inspiration for your next painting, after all, the world is a playground.
4. Games night: Get out the Monopoly or set up the Scrabble… there’s a board game for everyone and it’s a great way to socialise, have fun and switch off.
5. Call in the experts. Children innately know how to play and have fun. Whether it’s making up games, playing shop, or dancing around the house, you can’t help but be inspired. If you have nieces, nephews, grandchildren, or children of your own, make time to observe their abilities to live in the moment, and incorporate their ideas of playfulness into your own life.
How will you play today? What little things will you do to bring more fun into your life?
Need inspiration? Join us to rediscover the small wonders that make you happy, carving out one minute at a time, one day at a time
We all lead busy lives and it is sometimes easy to loose sight of those small things that can make a major difference to our daily experience of happiness.
That’s why we have created this fun 31-day challenge to make time for the things you love. Let’s think of it as an experiment in happiness and prioritisation – it starts very gently, and slowly but surely builds over the 31 days, so by the end you will be amazed by how much additional time and space you have found in your day. After all, the minutes, become the hours, become the days of our lives…
It couldn’t be easier to get involved – just sign up HERE and get ready to begin. Check your inbox for details, and get ready to receive one inspiring email a day for 31 days. Each one will provide thought-provoking words and a prompt to encourage you to create, connect or just find more joy.
Nell Gifford. Photo by Gem Hall
I love the word adventure. It conjures up so many great images… like embracing the great outdoors and roaming free in nature, sleeping under the stars, cooking on open fires, stargazing, doing things you’d never normally do, and making magical memories along the way.
(Photo credit: Ecadnak Photography)
