I love this perspective on play; “Play is as important to our physical and mental health as getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising. Play teaches us how to manage and transform our "negative" emotions and experiences. It supercharges learning, helps us relieve stress, and connects us to others and the world around us. Play can also make work more productive and pleasurable. Play is often described as a time when we feel most alive, yet we often take it for granted and may completely forget about it. But play isn't a luxury - it's a necessity.” These are excerpts from an article; Play, Creativity and Lifelong Learning on Helpguide.org.
 
Play is the final strategy of my LMNOP approach to bringing more help promoting pleasure into your life. As adults, we often don’t let our inner child out to play – but your inner child is always there waiting to bring more joy to your life!  I have heard myself say to my children over the years ‘I don’t have time to play’ or ‘stop fooling around, we don’t have time for that right now!’  You may also have the perception that play is wasting valuable time or it may just be low on your priority list. Often the part of you that wants to play gets buried away under the busyness, responsibilities, stress, time pressures etc.  As noted above, there are many important benefits of play and I too believe that play is essential to help us stay balanced and healthy.
 
So what do you love to play? Sports, cards, games? Playing does take a conscious effort and a bit of time but it is well worth it!  Another option that does not take any more time is to be more playful. Joking, being silly, making people laugh at home or at the office. Find a role model, someone you think is fun to be around or funny.  Kids can be great examples too. Watching and learning from mentors is a great way to get ideas that will help you become more playful!
 
So how are you going to bring more play into your life today and everyday?  You might want to ask your inner child!