What are you excited about today? This is a question you should be asking yourself every morning when you wake up. If you draw a blank to that question then that is the first sign that you need to incorporate more play into your life.
We get so bogged down by the responsibilities of being an adult that we forget that this life is nothing more than a game. A game that is meant to be joyful.
In the words of Elbert Hubbard “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out alive”.
This does not mean that you throw responsibility to the wayside. It just means that you find ways to be more playful, so you can incorporate more joy into your daily life. Here are 5 fantastic ways you can do so.
1. Be a playful conversationalist
You probably have tons of interactions each day with people who you usually go through the motions with on auto pilot. Maybe it’s the conversation with the barista, the customer service person at the cable company, colleagues at work or even personal friends. Instead of going through the motions have fun and be playful in these interactions. Go into them with genuine curiosity about the other person. Smile big and sk questions like “What are you excited about today?” and “How the heck are you?” This may sound silly, but it will bring a lot more joy into your life and the lives of the people you come in contact with. Be playful!
2. Make exercise a form of play
Exercise is a dreaded activity for some, but it can easily be the most fun part of your day. Start replacing boring exercise, with movement that feels more like play. Maybe that’s a dance class, yoga, recreational sports team or for you maybe it is hitting the gym and lifting weights. Whatever you do, make sure you have fun!
3. Game-ify your stressful tasks
Look at your hardest tasks of the day and find a way to make a game out of it. Instead of dreading doing things ask yourself questions like “If I could make this fun how would I?” “If I could find something to enjoy in this task what would it be?” Maybe that is just doing a task while listening to your favorite music or podcast. The point is there is no reason to suffer. Game-ify!
4. Schedule at least 30 minutes a day of play
You’re life is busy, you don’t have time to play all day. You do have 30 minutes to dedicate to play though. Whatever this is for you take the time to do it. Be that watching your favorite TV show, reading a book or playing with a loved one. Find time to do this and you will show up bigger and better in the rest of your day.
5. Go on at least one mini adventure a week
It’s easy to get stuck in the same old routine day after day, week after week. To switch it up a bit schedule at least one mini adventure a week. Maybe that’s a hike? Maybe that’s a new restaurant you wouldn’t usually try, maybe that’s trying out an acro yoga class. Do something fun that is a little out of your comfort zone and I promise you won’t regret it.
Now that you have learned some simple ways to play every day there only remains one question. What are you excited about today?
- 5 Ways to Become More Playful and Enjoy Life More - Mar 7, 2015
- 5 Ways Getting Enough Sleep Can Drastically Improve Your Health - Sep 18, 2014
- 4 Simple Habits That Will Make You a Morning Person - Sep 1, 2014
