What Happens When You Don’t Make Time For Play
In a culture of time, money, efficiency and productivity, play is often seen as nonessential. But what if this idea is wrong?
“Life without play is a grinding, mechanical existence organised around doing the things necessary for survival”. That’s what Dr Stuart Brown says of a life devoid of time spent playing. He goes further and suggests that play can even save your life.
Brown has spent the majority of his career studying play, speaking to lay audiences, assisting families in navigating challenging conditions and consulting with corporations to help them incorporate elements of play into their businesses. He has helped the clinically depressed on their journey to recovery through the use of play therapies.
Throughout his career, he has gathered and analysed thousands of individual case studies. These he calls play histories and has found that play is an essential ingredient in the healthy and fulfilled lives of individuals. He says that the ability to make time for play is not only crucial for happiness, but also for creating and sustaining social relationships and personal creativity.
I’d extend this by suggesting that we include idle time, time spent doing nothing in particular as equally important.
