The Power of Play: Five steps for unlocking creativity and joy in our everyday lives
Too often, we associate play with childhood, dismissing it as something frivolous or nonessential for adults.
But, play and work are not opposites.
Play and depression are opposites.
Besides all the physical benefits it brings, play also has the power to unlock our creativity, ignite our joy, and bring a renewed sense of vitality to our everyday lives. But play isn’t just recess (as many of us assume), play is physical movement, yes. But play is also a mindset.
To tap into the transformative power of play, we must cultivate a playful mindset that embraces wonder, sociability, spontaneity, and more.
Embracing a Playful Mindset can happen in five steps:
1. Awareness
Look for playful moments. They are all around us.
Where in your life do you see an opportunity? In your daily routine, how often do you pause to wonder about something you see? When we train ourselves to notice the small details, the beauty in everyday objects, we begin to see potential for play in various situations. Once, on one of Jed’s daily walks, he noticed the colors of the rainbow in natural elements all around him. So, he got creative!
Sometimes, it’s hard to just begin to notice these opportunities for play. We might need to surround ourselves with playful people to help jump-start this first step. When we do, our mirror neurons can help shape our thinking and behaviors to be more playful!
2 Intentionality
Provide ourselves with time, space, and opportunity. Make a plan to invite playfulness in.
Once we begin to see opportunities for play and playful living, we can begin to be more and more intentional about them. I love to write, and sharing ideas online has become a daily practice. This behavior is my form of play.
One tool that has helped me add intention and routine for how I want to craft my days is the Structured App. At the time of this writing, there is a free and a paid version. Personally, I use the Pro version, and it has been a game changer for helping me live with intention. It syncs all of my calendars (Google, Apple, Microsoft, etc) and gives me the ability to add tasks that I want to be part of my routine (future habit).
For example, right now my morning looks like this in the app:
By intentionally planning time for playful experiences, even if it’s just a few minutes each day, we can unleash our creativity and experience the joy that comes with play.
3 Process
Don’t be afraid to play, mess up, learn, repeat. Embrace the perceived chaos as part of the learning experience.
The first time you pick up an instrument, you won’t be concert-ready. You won’t be reading on the 5th time either.
As we practice living playfully, mistakes provide valuable lessons that contribute to personal growth and learning.
- Mistakes provide insight into what doesn’t work so we can adjust our approach accordingly.
- Mistakes often lead to new ideas, techniques, or perspectives.
- Mistakes help develop our problem-solving abilities and enhance our capacity to think outside the box, or destroy the box.
- Mistakes can help us confront our fear of failure and perfectionism.
- Mistakes provide an opportunity to build resilience and adaptability.
- Mistakes allow us to develop our own artistic voice, style, or approach.
4 Habit
Keep in mind that the more we play, the more playful we become. On average, it only takes 3–6 weeks to create a routine.
How do I make creativity a habit?
Charles Duhigg, the author of The Power of Habit, writes about the habit loop in order to create and change habits effectively. According to Duhigg, habits consist of a cue, routine, and reward.
- Identify the Cue: What triggers the behavior you want to develop?
Cues can be specific triggers such as a time of day, a particular location, an emotional state, or the presence of certain people. By recognizing the cue, you can set the stage for the desired habit. - Define the Routine: (see also Step 3 above)
The routine should be specific, achievable, and aligned with your goals. Breaking down the behavior into smaller, manageable steps can make it easier to adopt and sustain. - Design the Reward: In the beginning, rewards help motivate the behavior. Thank you, BF Skinner.
It could be a tangible reward, a feeling of accomplishment, or an intrinsic satisfaction.
Making playful living a habit is an ongoing process. So, be patient with yourself. Lean in.
5 Results
Never forget how playfulness makes us happy. Happy people play.
The science here is really cool.
Engaging in playful activities releases beautiful “feel-good” chemicals in the brain, which enhance mood and create a sense of happiness.
Play serves as a powerful stress reliever. When we immerse ourselves in playful activities, we disconnect from daily pressures and responsibilities. When we shift our focus to the present moment, we create a state of mindfulness and allow stress to melt away. Reduced stress levels contribute to overall happiness and well-being.
Incorporating play and a playful mindset stimulates our creativity and imagination.
When we engage in playful activities, we tap into our creative potential and explore new ideas, perspectives, and solutions. This creative expression fosters a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment, leading to overall happiness and satisfaction with life.
As a play ambassador for the US Play Coalition, I’m passionate about sharing the power of play for wellness and overall happy lives. As you continue to seek answers to your own questions on play, you might be interested in the following articles:
- How to find your dream job: The role of play personalities in fulfillment
- The five qualities of playful intelligence: How I found what my life was missing
- How do I make creativity a habit? (Upcoming)
Do you need additional support for incorporating play in your life?
- Listen to our playful banter as we seek to build a playful life.
- Follow us on the socials:
Julie: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook - Jed: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
- Consider buying our books on Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Target, or Amazon. We appreciate the love.
- Enroll in one of our FREE courses.
- Buy some PLAY-swag.
