Create More Joy

Remember when you were young and could spend hours playing? I remember jumping on the trampoline, playing barbies with my cousin, and my absolute favorite — dress up! It gave me the opportunity to put on clothes I didn’t get to normally wear and pretend I was someone else. It was so much fun and just writing about it now, I can’t help but smile as I think back on those times in my life.

Play isn’t something we normally think about for ourselves when we become adults. Unless we spend time with children or have young animals in the house, play is often long forgotten once we hit a certain stage in life.

But finding ways to play as an adult can really help your mental health. Life is so serious, play helps us step away for a bit and learn not to take things so seriously. It also gives us a little dopamine rush, which promotes feelings of accomplishment and reward. Add a friend in and you’re also going to stimulate oxytocin, which makes us feel warm and connected socially. Both of them are great antidotes to stress.

So what does play look like as an adult? I define play as an activity you’re doing just for the fun of it. Ideally it’s something that really holds your attention and brings joy into your life. I tend to cycle between reading, playing video games, and sewing. My mind isn’t able to wander very much because they are all mentally stimulating. If I find myself trying to turn it into an accomplishment, that’s a sign I need to step back and remember why I’m doing it.

If you find yourself struggling to identify hobbies, don’t be too hard on yourself. Try thinking back to things you liked to do when you were younger and had less responsibility. Our teenage years are rich with activities that we likely “tried on” when we were figuring out who we wanted to be. Try something new or tackle that thing you’ve been thinking about doing forever. Life is short.