by Eileen McDargh
The opposite of work is not play. It's
depression. So states
psychiatrist Stuart Brown in his new
book, Play: How It Shapes
The Brain, Opens The Imagination And
Invigorates The Soul.
Brown has conducted more than 6,000
play studies on what goes
wrong when people do not play-
studying everything from serial
killers to career-driven CEOs. Given the
current plethora of
economic turmoil, negative news, layoff
paranoia and growing
unemployment lines, the notion of
taking time to play sounds
like a childish daydream. But if Brown is
right, we could become
a nation of stress-filled, hypertensive
individuals who suffer
far more than we need to and-at the very
extreme-become downright
dangerous to ourselves and others.
Brown is not original in his assertion.
Anacharsis, a 6th BCE
philosopher insisted that we are
to, "Play so that you may be
serious." Even in the Hellenistic world,
play gave rise to
scientists, writers, philosophers, and
builders of great
civilizations.
If you consider that the task before us is
to build rebuild our
cities, our enterprises, and our global
community, then play
becomes the non-chemical stimulant
for channeling stress into
productive outputs.
Play takes many forms. The trick is to
find one that resonates
with you. Consider these examples:
Marc, a job-hunting, highly skilled
communications expert in the
entertainment field, coaches lacrosse
when he's not
interviewing. He appears more calm
and confident since he started
helping youngsters succeed in his
favorite sport.
Glenna, a recent widow and
entrepreneur, has started dance
lessons and added Bible study to her
spare time. Her laugh comes
easier now and she's discovering new
ventures for her skill.
Tom, faced with early retirement,
collects Japanese postcards
from the 1900s.
Neil, the CEO of a consulting company,
goes to an organic farm
and helps his wife prepare scrumptious
vegan meals.
Eunice, a vice president in an
international organization rides
her Icelandic horse at every opportunity.
And a president named Obama
unwinds with a game of hoops.
Certainly no other leader in modern
time has had to face so many
internal and external challenges and yet
he finds time to play!
Think of these examples and you'll note
that play is as much a
state of mind as it is an activity. It is a
mental release that
reduces stress levels in the body and
engages the brain in a
totally different type of thinking.
Take these three steps to enter the
world of play:
1. Give yourself permission to play. Put
a play date with
yourself on the calendar and treat it as
sacred as the meeting
with your most important client.
Remind yourself that you'll
be refreshed and thinking more clearly
if you play.
2. Find the play that best suits you. Start
a Play diary,
writing down moments of well-being. It
might be something that
occurred during the week. It might be
as simple as walking the
dog or as complex as taking an eco-
adventure tour. It might be a
romantic night with your best beloved or
a sweaty 100-mile bike
ride. Whatever it is-in the doing, you
feel a sense of
contentment and joy.
3. Pass play along. Encourage others.
Make sure you're not the
driver who keeps employees chained to
their desks but rather,
lead the way. If you're in a position to do
so, create a Fun
Friday where everyone takes a turn at
coming up with something
that evokes joy, laughter, and
contentment. One organization
forbade e-mail on Fridays between
anyone in the building.
Instead, messages were sent via a
paper airplanes.
I am proud to have been
recognized for my
efforts to effectively use email marketing
in 2008 to
connect with my customers and
subscribers.
