Fall Into Flow
The mornings and nights are getting cooler. The leaves are starting to change color. The hours of daylight are decreasing. Ah FALL! My favorite time of year! I just love putting on a warm sweater, watching football, and going for hikes in the warm glow of the autumn leaves.
Do you remember yourself or your children playing in the fallen leaves? I definitely do. We used to make big piles just for the kids to jump in. Which brings me to my question for this month…
Do you take time to play?
Businesses have been encouraging employees to start meetings by introducing play because it gets the creative juices flowing. When is the last time you played, pursed a favorite hobby, just allowed yourself to be lazy and stay in your PJ’s, watched old movies, played with bubbles, chalk, swung on swings, went apple or pumpkin picking? How about making some fall favorites such as chili, apple pie, or roasted pumpkin seeds?
When we’re engaged in an activity that seems to make all time and space disappear, we are in what science refers to as flow. And when we’re in flow, wow, does it feel good!
In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.
Play could be simply goofing off with friends, sharing jokes with a coworker, throwing a Frisbee on the beach, dressing up on Halloween with your kids, building a snowman in the yard, playing fetch with a dog, acting out charades at a party, or going for a bike ride with your spouse with no destination in mind. There doesn’t need to be any point to the activity beyond having fun and enjoying yourself. By giving yourself permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, you can reap oodles of health benefits throughout life.
The Benefits of Play
While play is crucial for a child’s development, it is also beneficial for people of all ages. Play can add joy to life, relieve stress, supercharge learning, and connect you to others and the world around you. Play can also make work more productive and pleasurable.
You can play on your own or with a pet, but for greater benefits, play should involve at least one other person, away from the sensory-overload of electronic gadgets.
How play can improve your life:
Relieves stress
Improves brain function
Stimulates the mind and boosts creativity
Improves relationships and your connection to others
Keeps you feeling young and energetic
Helps develop and improve social skills
Teaches cooperation with others
Can heal emotional wounds