"We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing." — George Bernard Shaw
Do you remember as children, how the adults in our life used to encourage us to go and play? For those, who like me, are of a particular age, how often were you admonished to get up from in front of the TV and go outside and “get some fresh air”? Advised that sitting around in front of the TV all day was going to do nothing but ‘rot our brain’?
So, why is it that as we get older, we stop playing? Why is it that we’ve allowed society and all its ‘rules’ to make us feel that playing is not something that we - as adults - should be doing? And that if we do ‘play’, we’re being immature and need to ‘grow up’?
In falling for the status quo, we have ended up hurting ourselves more than we’ve helped ourselves. Playing - and playing isn’t just physical - is vital to our emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Whether it’s heading outside to kick the ball around with the kids/grands; turning on the radio and dancing around for no reason at all or simply grabbing your favorite book and getting lost in another reality, there are far too many benefits to playing that will continue to benefit us throughout the rest of our life.
Can’t think of what to do to get some “play” back into your life? Outside of the few examples I’ve given above, you could:
- Exercise: just remember, it’s for fun, not just for gains!
- Sing: sing in the shower…sing in the rain…again, this isn’t about how WELL you do it, just that you DO IT!
- Daydream: if you’re a ‘busy beaver’ like me, this one will be hard because you’ll have to force yourself to turn your brain off and do NADA! (start slowly/small and the build up to 1 hour…WE CAN DO IT!)
- Create a ‘game league’ with family/friends: each household taking turns hosting ‘Game Night’ at their home. Keep it competitively light…it’s about F-U-N!
- Color: there are SO many ADULT coloring books available, covering a myriad of subject matters. Pick one, grab some colored pencils/gel pens/markers/crayons and get started!
To help you get started, with at least the last two suggestions, here’s a curated Amazon list I was motivated to put together of some ‘FUN’ ideas. As a reminder, the links found on the next page are affiliate links via Amazon. As such, at no additional cost to you, should you click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.
In a nutshell, don’t let your imagination - or lack thereof - limit you! If you can think of it, and can take part in it, even with slight modifications, get out there and
GO HAVE SOME FUN!
Now, what ways can you see yourself incorporating “FUN” into your life? Let me know in the comments!
Until Next Time...
Kimberly
The Middle-Aged Minx™
