My second challenge in this instagram series (@priyachawathe) was how to incorporate Play into your life.

Are you too busy to have fun? Do you idolize success and place a low value on play time? Are the demands of your work life just so pressing that you think you have no choice? “It’s up to us as individuals to take control and responsibility for the type of life we want to live. If you don’t design your life, someone else will design it for you.” – Nigel Marsh

I invite you now, to set and enforce boundaries in your life so you can PLAY .

Why Play?

Play is essential. Play is foundational for bonding and fostering tolerance. Both lacking in today’s society. Creativity (even inventions ) are the product of play. Play also builds resilience. Play makes you better at work. It’s also just plain fun and an amazing stress buster.

What is Play?

Dr. Stuart Brown says, “If the purpose is more important than the act of play, then it probably isn’t play.” Something to think about if you are goal or task oriented. Screen-time and passive entertainment doesn’t count either (that’s me just being bossy).

How to Play

Alone and with others. Like a child or pet . Play is most pleasurable and beneficial in a trusted environment that’s free of judgement. Trust is needed to play most freely, and the act of play in return helps build trust. “In times where it seems least appropriate to play, it might be the time when it’s most urgent.” – Primatologist Isabel Behncke. Like yesterday, when I couldn’t stop dissing on my family .

I Will Play

I definitely have work (ahem) to do in this area (hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day). In our family, play is typically reserved for vacations – like in this recent picture with my dear cousin Devika. Even vacations have been hard to come by lately (argh). It was important for us to bond, laugh and make memories with our cousins, so we made this happen.

It’s time to go beyond vacations. It’s time to go from family screen-time to real fun.

We declare one evening of family game-night/week. I’m also going to be bold and challenge myself to more adult play with hubby. I do have a number of days/week in mind, but let’s keep something private shall we?

I’m ready to play. Are you? How will you play?

Love & hugs,

Priya