2022 Resolution: Stress Less & Play More!
Published Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Are things getting better or are we adapting? Is your new normal leaving you feeling flat and uninspired? Perhaps even a little robotic?
You are not alone.
As parents and grandparents and friends and teachers and care givers, we've got eagle eyes on how Covid is affecting the children we love. We're all working to make sure they get to have all the joy and play and wonder of their childhoods.
But what about us? Who's looking out for the grown-ups?
We have to check in on ourselves and each other.
Happy Up is going to remind you to Play.
It's self care. It's the cure to the robotic meh. It'll help heaps and gobs and bunches. We pinky-swear promise.
We originally posted this in 2021. It's still true.
Why Play?
Play recharges your batteries. We know how important it is for children. But do you know how important it is for adults?
It's just as important.
Just like sleep, play helps to reset our brains and emotional responses. It creates space for creativity. It lightens our loads. And it doesn't have to be a sport or a game. Play is anything you enjoy doing wholeheartedly.
A definition of play for grownups:
- Any activity where the process/experience is the main point and more important than the end goal.
Hiking, reading a book, or taking the kids to the zoo are all examples of play. - Any activity where you lose track of time. Where your sole focus is the activity.
Working on a jigsaw puzzle, building a music playlist, or scrapbooking are all examples. - Any activity where you delight in the shared abilities and strengths of the people around you.
Singing in a choir, team sports, board games with the family, and volunteer work are all examples.
We all have the chance to play every day. The hard part is to recognize the type of play that feeds you, and make the space for it to happen.