How to bring more playfulness to your everyday life

When was the last time you played? Took part in an enjoyable activity for the sake of it, with no particular outcome? A moment where you laughed, felt awe, curiosity, creativity? Where time flew by? If you’re over the age of, say, 7, your answer is probably not recently .

According to Mia Sundstrom, CEO of the National Institute for Play , an organization that studies play and champions research-backed playful policies, American society is in a bit of a play drought.

Attention spans are shrinking , the country is more polarized than ever , and some people might be more comfortable communicating with AI than other humans.

“Our world is really overwhelming, and what we’re starting to see is these almost spontaneous bursts of playfulness infiltrate back into our society almost as a rebellion against the things that feel really hard and scary right now,” Sundstrom told Vox.

That desire for levity might explain the proliferation of “ whimsical ” online content and unconventional workout classes and events , Sundstrom said.

In other words, play, which she defined as both a state (marked by experimentation and risk-taking) and a disposition (a curious, creative, and optimistic way of moving throughout the world).

Playfulness benefits us all, not just kids.

Playful people perceive less stress and have higher well-being , and life satisfaction .

It also just feels good to partake in an activity that takes you out of the difficulties of life, if just for a little while.

To help push back against the forces of seriousness, Sundstrom outlines three easy ways to imbue your life with more play.

1.

Figure out your “play style” Play is highly subjective: What one person considers enjoyable might be another’s personal hell.

And just because an activity brings you a moderate amount of enjoyment doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good for you. (Take mindlessly scrolling on your phone, for instance.) To be a more playful person, you need to consider — or remember — what makes you feel a little silly.

The National Institute for Play developed six “play styles” to help people determine what activities light them up.