11:11 Waves Blog 40: Play

Every Monday, I share 1 question for you to contemplate, 1 idea from me, 1 quote from others, and 1 inspiration for us.

This week’s topic is: Play

Last week I came across an interesting study from LEGO where it was highlighted that, at present, there is a global deficit in play. The research found that, on average, children are spending just 2% of their week (or seven hours) playing, with 32% spending less than three hours each week enjoying playing (this is less time that most adults spend scrolling on their phones per day). The main reason for this decline is that the majority of parents prioritize purpose-based activities (e.g. getting ahead in their studies, learning a new language, perfecting an instrument etc.) for their children over free play. This data made me think about the activities adults engage in and how, most of the time, they are also achievement or purpose based. The line between play and self-improvement gets blurred quickly and many of us are guilty of turning playful hobbies into part-time jobs. Play is all about the action, not the outcome: play is purposefully purposeless.

One Question for you

It is a happy talent to know how to play.

Discuss the question here.

One Idea from me

Play is beneficial for people of all ages. Play can add joy to life, boost creativity, supercharge learning, increase energy, improve social skills, relieve stress and connect you to the world around you. This week I am sharing a challenge, a concept and a practice on how to develop your playful side and add more play into your life.

The challenge: Play is an active form of learning that unites the mind, body and spirit. Play can be physical (like playing sports or building a snowman in the garden), it can be social, (like a playing a boardgame with friends, playing fetch with your furry baby or goofing around with your family), or solo (like doing a puzzle, listening to music or journaling). The key differentiator? Play is all about the action, not the outcome. As Psychiatrist Stuart Brown puts it: “If the purpose of an activity is more important than the activity itself, it’s probably not play.” This week I invite you to review all your activities and identify if they are play or not play. For example:

X Listening to a podcast to level up your career: Not Play

V Listening to a podcast just for the fun of it and love of learning: Play

X Learning French to woo your latest crush: Not Play

V Learning French because “J’adore”: Play

Once you complete this exercise, reflect on what you discovered, what surprised you and determine what you will do with it.

The concept: People play in different ways. A recent study called “A new structural model for the study of adult playfulness” identified four categories of playful personalities traits: lighthearted, intellectual, other-directed and whimsical. The researchers describe the four personalities as follows: “Other-directed play is social in nature, while Light-hearted play refers to seeing life as a game. Intellectual play involves a mental challenge. Quirky or off-the-wall humor points to Whimsical play”. Knowing your style can help you figure out which activities you like, but it can also help you eliminate activities that you don’t necessarily enjoy. If you like intellectual play for example, a karaoke evening with friends might not be fun for you. If you take a lighthearted approach to play, you may not select a long strategic board game. This week, take a moment to reflect on what playful personality trait or traits resonate more with you and based on this realization, create some opportunities to play, your way.

The practice: This week I invite you to add play into your life. You can start this by writing down three activities you could do for hours on end. Mine are doing puzzles, playing ballads with my acoustic guitar and playing soccer at the beach with my furry baby. Now that you have identified some activities, carve out some unstructured time in your calendar to play. Most people don’t have regular playtime built into their schedules - this means that we need to be extra intentional about playtime and protect this time as we protect work, important appointments or meetings. Once you tested this for one week, reflect on the following questions: What positive changes did you notice? What was hard? What came easy? What is one commitment to continue adding play into your life?

One Quote from others

“Play is the highest form of research”. Albert Einstein

One Inspiration for us

The traditions and traits of different cultures are often reflected through the games that people play. This week, I am sharing a link to a page which contains a great list of games from all over the world. Although many board or card games are very similar, different cultures will often offer an alternative twist which adds to the fun! Enjoy!