Why Play Is The Missing Ingredient In Your Wellness Practice

I fumbled with my fingers, trying to separate them into different configurations and laughing at my clumsiness. I stood in an auditorium filled with wellness and social change experts from all over the globe, and it buzzed with the shrieks and chuckles of adults lost in play. 

"Playfulness is our best ally," said Wellington Nogueira, as he guided us through the exercise. A professional clown, actor, and social entrepreneur, Nogueira was one of 60 speakers featured during the first annual Global Wellbeing Summit for Social Change.

The importance of play for children's developmental and educational growth is well understood—but what about for adults?

"Play in adult life is self-knowledge in a nontraditional way," explained Nogueira. "It's a better way to accept our fears and limitations because it teaches us vulnerability and to laugh at ourselves." 

A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Nogueira founded Doutores da Alegria (Doctors of Joy) in 1991. The organization revolutionized health care in Brazil by introducing joy to pediatric care and focusing on both psychological and physical needs. Realizing the transformative nature of joy prompted Nogueira to take the practice of play to as many spaces as possible.

The 2013 study, "The Playful Advantage: How Playfulness Enhances Coping With Stress," found that playful individuals reported lower levels of perceived stress than their less playful peers. There is even a National Institute of Play, a nonprofit that supplies resources on how to incorporate play into daily life for overall wellness. According to the institute, play has also been shown to brighten mood and strengthen social and emotional skills.

There are plenty of ways to emphasize the importance of play in your life. As psychotherapist Heidi Pidcoke, MFT, who also facilitated a session at the Wellbeing Summit, explained to me, "Play is a huge part of who we are as humans. Our creativity is intrinsically linked to play. The opposite is feeling trapped and shut down."

The type of play you love the most can often be traced to your childhood, but it's whatever makes your heart sing today. Nogueira loves to play the New York Times spelling bee, for example, and Pidcoke enjoys playing pickleball.

Keep in mind that "playing" can encompass everything from participating in recreational sports to acting in a theater production to tossing around new ideas. "If it brings pleasure and connection," Pidcoke emphasized, "it will benefit you."

It doesn't have to be a specific organized action, either. To quickly engage your sense of play, Nogueira is a fan of turning everything you have to do into a game. He recommends the book Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse as a great reference to help get the hang of it.

"Play around with perception and the way you see things. Let go of fear and try new things... Enjoy the playfulness of life. When you breathe and focus, don't call it meditation. Call it something else and play with it and the possibilities," Nogueira recommended.

Play isn't just for kids. Research is showing that it can be a valuable wellness practice for us adults, too. So don't be afraid to bust into song or make a funny face today. If anyone asks, you're doing it for the sake of your health.