Why is it that the word “playing” is always associated with children only? Well, obviously because children love to play. But when it comes to us grown ups, we tend to use different terms, like “having a good time” or “enjoying my day”. We never say “I want to play today”. Probably because it sounds childish and we don’t relate to it much.

I think that playing is for adults too. The problem seems to be that adults have forgotten how to play in the first place! Our typical way to “have a good time” is to watch TV, go out for some drinks, or party. That’s about it. (And really, was that party even a good time?)

It’s ironic cause society teaches us that when we work hard, we can play hard. Well, what does play even look like for us?

We’ve forgotten how to be in the moment, to explore, to enjoy our surroundings in detail. We get bored easily and just want to be be done with everything quickly, whether it’s a day out in the park, playing a game, even reading a book. We have no patience in this fast world anymore. These days, we just want to numb our stresses and worries away, usually ending up in scrolling or binge watching TV.

I have a question for you now:

When was the last time you truly played?

As in, you immersed yourself in something that you forgot time existed, you had no thoughts, you just had so much fun that you felt like a child again?

For me, it was a few weeks ago when I volunteered to photograph an art workshop. It was just a wonderful time where I truly enjoyed taking photos of these lovely women, learning and expressing themselves through their art pieces. I experimented with my photography skills, and I absolutely loved how the photos turned out.

Another time was when I took a pottery class. I LOVED it. Working with my hands, feeling the clay mold and melt between my fingers, and creating shapes and bowls. It was absolutely fascinating and it brought me back to the times when I used to play with mud out in the garden as a kid.

I say all this, because I myself don’t play enough. I’ve come to this realization recently, where I felt myself become stagnant and bored with everything. I felt drained. Not because I was overworking myself, but because I wasn’t engaging myself with what I love and find joy in.

Playing can be as simple as doodling, writing a poem, dancing, saying something silly, singing, painting, building something, playing a sport, a boardgame…

It can be anything at all, anything that you really truly have fun doing. You don’t even need to be “good” at it. You don’t need a goal. You’re doing it for you.

So, how do you like to play in your life?