Schedule one fun activity this week
The past year has been crazy. There have been high levels of stress and uncertainty, the divorce rates are through the roof, we haven’t been able to see our friends and family as much as usual if at all, and people are having to manage on much less money than they normally would. It’s important that we prioritize our health and wellbeing during this difficult time.
So, when you are planning your schedule for this week, try to incorporate one fun activity.
Importance
Play has numerous benefits.
Firstly, it’ll help improve the health of your relationship. Dr John Gottman explains,
“Play isn’t a luxury or indulgence, but a necessity for a successful, happy relationship…. Playing together creates trust, intimacy, and a deep connection. Couples who play together, stay together.”
Stuart Brown explains how play might even save your life:
“I don’t think it is too much to say that play can save your life. It certainly has salvaged mine. Life without play is a grinding, mechanical existence organized around doing the things necessary for survival. Play is the stick that stirs the drink…. Play is the vital essence of life. It is what makes life lively.”
Play is also vital for our mental health, which, for a lot of people, is a big issue today.
“When play is denied over the long term, our mood darkens. We lose our sense of optimism and we become anhedonic, or incapable of feeling sustained pleasure.” — Stuart Brown
Implementation
Make a list of activities that you enjoy. If you plan to complete your fun activity with others, include them in this brainstorming process.
Pick one activity to include in your schedule this week.
Schedule it in! You might have to shuffle some things around to make the time for it, but it’ll be worth it.
Make time for play like you would for anything else. Playing and having fun might be the best thing we can do for ourselves during this chaotic situation we have all found ourselves in. Enjoy some lightheartedness, some humor, some fun with friends and family. It’ll help your mental and physical health. It’ll put things in perspective. It’ll show you that there is still some good in the world.
“A lack of play should be treated like malnutrition — it’s a health risk to your body and mind.” — Stuart Brown
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