Play

Play is that which we do without any goal or desired outcome. I would add it's also when we lose track of time, when we catch ourselves smiling, and when - as adults - we do something we may feel a little scared to try. Maybe it’s a brand new thing–like hitting a golf ball–and being a beginner is uncomfortable. Maybe it’s just beyond our ability–like drawing a picture that actually looks like something–and the fear of failing or looking foolish makes us hesitate. We might wonder: without an explicit goal, does that inherently mean we're pursuing . . .  mediocrity? Perish the thought!

Maybe I’m overthinking this. Can’t play just be play? Fun for the sake of fun? But I’d argue that years of focusing on our careers, families, social lives, futures, has weakened our play muscles, broken our play habit. Our desire to control the chaos of our lives has made us side eye the chaotic energy of play. 

But I’d argue, and I’m sure you’d agree, that it’s a mistake not to make play a priority. For me, play involves shifting gears from one mode of being to another. From mind to body or body to mind; from one side of the brain to another. That kind of shift often snaps us into presence, i.e. there’s nothing else to think about besides what’s in front of you. 

Consider the importance of leaders taking an opportunity to have an experience that simply asks them to be present, to laugh and enjoy, without pretense. In the short term, we get that delicious hit of oxytocin, but the long term benefits can include an increased sense of community, belonging, and well being. Stanford’s Naomi Bagdonas and Connor Diemand-Yauman argue as much when they advocate for more humor in leadership.

If you need some inspiration (don’t we all), check out one of our favorite weekly newsletters, Girls’ Night In issue 313, in which they poll readers on their favorite ways to add playfulness into their daily lives. Enjoy!