Find the Work/Play Balance
When you hear the idea of rest, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it’s naps and Netflix. I tell my wife all the time, there’s nothing I want more after a long day than to sit down, watch television, and shut my brain off. Before long, my head is back, eyes closed, mouth open, probably drooling, and snoring like a freight train in sheer dream-filled bliss. It’s like a bedtime warmup.
But what happens far too often is that when I finally go to bed, I am either wide awake or don’t sleep well. Because I never gave my brain the time it needed to wind down, process, and get ready for another day. Despite my best efforts, my brain doesn’t just turn off--that’s not a thing. It’s not like a light switch to be turned on or off on command.
This routine created an unhealthy balance in my life. I worked and worked and worked. And then just stopped. Sleep and repeat. Day after day. I didn’t make time for any play. Nothing fun. No hobbies. No unscheduled shenanigans. I may have felt like I was getting enough rest because I was getting a good amount of sleep, but I was still very much off balance.
You need balance. Time to work and time to play. Our work not only provides us with an income or education, but it can also give you incredible satisfaction. You learn to work under pressure, deal with stress and navigate difficult circumstances. You develop important soft skills that can’t be taught anywhere else. So get to work. But that doesn’t mean work all the time. You need time to play. So go throw a football, play a game of tag, or grab a deck of cards.
Time spent playing has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, help you cope with depression, and make sure you have a life outside of work and school. Time spent playing is often less structured than work or school and therefore breeds greater levels of creativity. It can even make you a more imaginative, more well-rounded person--especially if you’re willing to try new things.
With the world of school and work becoming more and more remote and our world growing more connected than ever, the dividing line between what is work and what is play is less and less distinct. It is more important than ever to be diligent and intentional in creating a work/play balance in your life. It is so much easier to always work, but that kind of life isn’t healthy. Allow your mind to take a break from work and the stresses that come with it. Dive into and get lost in some playtime.
Challenges/Points:
For many of us, resting means doing nothing because we are so drained from work. This is a sign you are out of balance.
Just as much as structured, scheduled time, we need unstructured “play” time.
As we get older, it becomes even more important to allow ourselves time to play.
Questions:
If you had to pick one or the other, do you think you are all work or all play?
What was your favorite game as a kid? When was the last time you played it?
If you could take a day off work and go play, what would you do?
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