Maybe we need to laugh a little more, not because life is perfect but because it doesn’t need to be.

A time to weap a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:4

Maybe you may have hard at one time or another either meant for you or someone you know when you became a full fledge adult, that you need to quit playing, or you play to much, how about, your to old to be playing games.

When was the law was written that said, because you are an adult who happens to be a parent, school teacher, or someone who works in a serious profession like a police officer, lawyer, doctor, real estate agent, or running your own business or corporation that you are not allowed to play.

Why are we not allowed to play without someone thinking its being imature just because we are an adult? When I say play, I don’t mean go on a vacation, I mean right where you are in your life right know like a take timeout situation. Take time out to play, go home and play with your kids, your spouse, your friends, even play games by yourself.

When I think back, there have been times in my very much adult life when I was told I behave like a child due to my playful spirit. “Most of my friends and family would chalk it up to me not having any children of my own. At that time and even now, I “still believe that was the stupidest thing I have ever heard.”

Having a playful spirit is not just for kids. I believe we all have a playful spirit in side of us, people are just afraid to show it fear of being ridiculed. Some adults have had to grow up not being allowed to play, just as little boys were taught not to cry and show emotion when growing up.

Because life is filled with responsibilities, work, bills, family obligations, and daily pressures. Society often teaches us that playing is for children and that adulthood should only be focused on productivity.

Giving yourself permission to play is a powerful mindset shift. As an adult, play shouldn’t be a distraction you need to earn; it is an essential nutrient for your brain that lowers stress, sparks creativity, and restores your mental energy.

• There are so many of us that are so stressed out about something, and that something can cause mental and emotional strain. Play provides a healthy break from those stresses. Playing board games with your friends or shooting some hoops, working on a hobby keeps you from thinking about the pressures in your life which releaves stress.
• Play brings people into the present moment, increasing focus and energy. It helps adults develop coping skills to develop better handling challenges and to find joy in work.
• Strenghtening social connections, wether in relationships or with friends, play builds empathy, trust , and intamacy serving as an antidote to loneliness.
• When we play as an adult, it increases creativity, as it encourages imagination, curiosity, and problem solving. When we become adults these qualities just don’t disappear.
• When we play our body benefits from it. Dancing, swimming, hiking, pickleball, frisbee,cycling, and recreational sports are all forms of adult play that keep the body active.

Psychologists emphasize that play is not merely for children; it is a critical, often overlooked component of adult well-being that acts as a vital tool for stress management, cognitive health, and social connection. Engaging in playful, purposeless activity allows adults to step away from “executive overdrive,” decreasing cortisol levels and fostering a more resilient, joyous, and creative life.

Take a cue from watching the children in your life, nobody tells them when to play they do it automatically.