I'm serious. How often do you factor fun into your busy schedule? And by fun I mean pure unadulterated snorting, letting a bit of wee out, silly fun? Once a day? Once a week? Once a month? Once a year? I went on a retreat last week with a bunch of seriously awesome women and as part of it we got to dance around to Katy Perry and I realised just how happy and liberated I felt after dancing around to 'Firework'. I was literally so full of ideas, creativity and spirit after just letting go and letting my soul feel joy. In the week following the retreat I've been doing a health check on honouring my values that fun is high up there for me and that in this grown up life it something we all need more of it.
Playing raises energy
Playing helps to raise energy vibrations, and life goes where energy flows. Energy attracts the same kind of energy waves; when we're in a negative state our energy vibrations are low and we attract more low vibration energy. Like, those days when everything just seems to go wrong that low energy is feeding on other low energy vibes and situations. Playing is the opposite of this, raising energy means that we attract other high vibe energy which is where the good stuff loves to play too.
Letting your inner child out to play
Yep, we've all got that little child inside of us. Whether it's memories of our youth, or the values and beliefs that are set from a young age our inner child is a reflection of who we were as we were growing, it's the seed of our apple. It's usually loudest when we're not getting what we want and it starts throwing a tantrum. In my case that can be quite often! But it also needs to get out and have some fun. Cherish your inner child and give it play time so that it can get some much needed freedom.
Play helps us to relax
There's no surprise that sales of adult colouring books have sky-rocketed. In Amazon's top 10 book list the first 5 have been adult colouring books for the last few months. Simply picking up a pen and getting lost in a colouring book has the same neurological effect as meditating. In a world when our brains are over-stimulated with devices the simple act of colouring in allows us to propel us back to the simplicity of childhood.
It connects us to others
Play is the ultimate in connecting to ourselves and others. Losing ourselves in play means that we can connect unconsciously; switching off our cognisant senses for a time to get lost and in the flow of play. It's a breeding ground for creativity and thinking creatively. Entering into play with other people means that we are better connected to them through empathy, and hey, it's bloody good fun too, which is incredibly bonding.
Play is whatever play is to you. You know what you love to do, and here's 10 ideas you can adapt into your own style of playtime.
Dance
Crank up the volume and dance with wild abandon. You know that kind of dancing where you don't give a shit whether anyone's watching you. Get those arms flailing, spin around until you fall over, jump and up down like you're on a pogo stick. You just see how you feel after that.
Draw
Get the colouring pens out, get the glitter pens out, get the crayons out; it doesn't matter what you medium is just grab something and get drawing. It's a great way of unleashing your creative flow. Check out these beautiful adult colouring in books.
Create a vision board around fun
Fill it full of colour, glitter and images of things that you love to do, places you love to go and feel free, as well as words or quotes which release your inner child.
Hang out with kids
Learn from the masters of play. Kids play in worlds of imagination and without inhibition, and are great at teaching us how to let go. Be silly, be carefree, be a kid again for a while.
Hang out with a dog
Pooches are great at helping us to relax, and they have an enormous sense of play. It's what helps them to learn how to behave in their packs, and like us teaches them empathy when they're young. There's nothing better than a good game of tug of war with your four legged buddy.
Hang out with your friends
Make a date and hang with those friends who you know you can relax with most and will usually have you belly laughing within half an hour. You could book yourself in to do something like go-carting or learning a Beyoncé dance class, or it could as simple as a wine and a chat. Whatever is going to work for you.
Go get lost in a field
Festival season may be drawing to a close, but there's nothing to stop you planning for next years fun times. Going to a festival that doesn't take itself seriously, like Bestival will have you belly laughing for 4 days. There's nothing more invigorating that leaving your adult self on the outside.
Play an old school game
Grab your mates and the kids and hold a silly sports day; egg and spoon race, three-legged race, the lot. I dare you not to feel great after.
Get dressed up
Don a wig, get the glitter out and dress up in some fancy dress garb. You could have a themed party at home, or just go out for the night dressed up for the hell of it. Putting on fancy dress means un-inhibiting your sensibilities.
Shake it out
If you're stuck, or in a fug - living in your shadow self - then get that shit out. Crank up some music and shake it out. Start with your hands, then feet, then through your body. It's amazing invigorating and releases those negative vibes.
Well, that's my top 10, I'd love to hear what you do for fun and play, so let me know below.