Playing around is something we think of as the stomping ground of children. Yet cutting-edge research reveals that play is actually a natural, transformative endeavor that has great benefits for adults too. Take a look at how adding a little fun to your day can the dynamics of your life.

Play is so much more than fun.. Watch:

Play Is An Equalizer | Benefits of Play

Imagine a hungry, half ton polar bear coming at you with a predatory stare, and you have nowhere to run and hide. What would you do?

A savvy Siberian Husky who was chained up outside near the icy Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada knew just how to handle this situation. She began to send signals to the bear to play – and ended up spending an afternoon frolicking in the snow with the 1,000 lb. male behemoth. As it turns out, play is so powerful an instinct that it even overrides immense imbalances in power in nature.

This also extends to human beings. People who engage in regular free play and exploration have a larger sense of control over their own destiny. They realize that their fate is in their own hands. This is because play helps you practice making our own decisions. Therefore, anyone who has ‘power over’ you, such as a boss or class professor, is seen as someone to try to relate to, rather than as someone who you’ll hand your power over to.

Play Is a ‘Problem Solver’ | Benefits of Play

Work and life are full of issues that must be dealt with, but what if we played our way towards our solutions? For much of human history, people did just that, with work and play intimately intertwined in a well-coordinated dance.  Our ancestors understood what studies are now backing up: that taking a break from work doesn’t decrease the focus needed to solve problems – it actually increases it.

In fact, the experience of engaging the body and mind together in fun exploration is so powerful that leading organizations like NASA and Boeing now insist that their new recruits have a strong background in creating with their own hands. This is because the curiosity that is an inherent part of play is also an inherent part of turning problems into prize-winning solutions.

Play is so much more than fun.. Watch: Stuart brown quote TED talk have fun adult grown up sad happiness happy secret guide how to be Research Reveals That Surprising Benefits of Play (As An Adult) Life is short. Smile, while you still have teeth.

Play Is a Creativity Booster | Benefits of Play

Just as play boosts your focus and self-actualization, so too does it increase your creative capacity. Play’s ability to ‘light up’ different parts of your brain allows for key creative centers to work together in the most efficient way possible. This aids you with recalling memories relevant to the task at hand, and helps you to form new, innovative ideas and amazing works of art by positively shaping your highest sensual and intellectual processes.

Play has also been shown to activate parts of your mind associated with pleasure and well-being. When these have been stimulated, people’s innovative thinking is also turned on, and we are able to perform creative tasks much more successfully.

Play Is a Clue To Our Purpose | Benefits of Play

Your personal play history is a clue to your own passions and inner drives. By paying attention to what you like to do for fun, whether it be watching the latest indie film or cooking a delicious dinner for friends, you can begin to unravel your next steps along your path to the life of your dreams.

It’s also really useful to take a trip back in time and review your play habits as a child. Can you pinpoint some of the best emotional experiences you had with play? For instance, many who work in animal care used to love playing with their pets as kids, and those who engineer new modes of travel enjoyed fiddling with the old car in the garage. Prioritizing play and what it has to teach you helps empower and enrich your experiences so that you can enjoy a life filled with activities that light up your soul.

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