The cold water took my breath away for a few seconds until my body relaxed with the flow of the waves. Before long I floated into the middle of a school of fish, spinning to watch them as they swam in a circle. A couple of barracuda stared at me while I stared back. Some fish with yellow fins hovered on the edge of the spooky deep. As I drifted with the current, I saw thousands of tiny silver-striped ones that darted quickly as I tried to get closer. I had a blue sky and a bright sun, blue-green water, an ocean breeze and warm sand on the beach.  I was snorkeling with the man I’ve loved for over half of my life. I was Athena, Queen of the Sea.

I don’t share this story to make you jealous or to make me depressed that my vacation ended. I want to talk about the power of play. According to dictionary.com, one definition of play is: a diverting activity that is often undirected, spontaneous, or random. I like to add that there is an element of abandon, where we engage in playing and forget about life’s problems for a little while.

One of the greatest benefits of play is that it renews our perspective. Life does have serious problems, and our world has real crises that need to be solved. Play helps us not to become overwhelmed and restores our creativity to be able to deal with the tough things in life. As I played in the ocean, my mind was far from the small and big challenges on my plate. I was lost in the joy of play. After playing, my problems seemed smaller, less important. Playing in the ocean reminded me that there is a big world out there, and that all the stuff of my life is not at the center of the universe. And I came away refreshed, ready to tackle what is mine to face.

My dilemma is that I don’t live near the ocean (or the mountains, my other favorite playground), and I can’t live like every day is vacation. So how do I keep play alive the other 50 weeks of the year? Here are 3 keys I’ve discovered to make play a regular part of my life.

The Play Makeover

The first part of the play makeover is to change how I think about playing. I believe God created us to live joyful, happy lives, full of wonder. He freely loves us and gives us joy, and play is one of the conduits of joy in our lives. I usually put playing off until my work is done. That’s a good responsible plan for keeping my job, and for taking care of my family. The problem with this plan is that the work is never really done, so I get caught up in a cycle of going from one commitment to the next. Then I don’t play often enough, and the stress piles up, and my perspective gets warped, and I miss out on the joyful life that God intends for me. So my change in thinking involves embracing play as a gift that I can enjoy often, not just when I feel like I’ve earned it.

Another part of the play makeover is to figure out what activities help me to play. Some of my friends like to shop. For me, that is work! What activity causes me to forget about time and life’s pressures? When I was a child, I liked to play kickball and ride the Big Wheel down the hill. Unfortunately now my legs are too long, and I can’t fit my knees into a Big Wheel anymore. But much of my play still includes being outside, doing something that’s active and a little adventurous. I’m making a list of things I enjoy, and I intentionally schedule my play times.

The Play-o-meter

It also helps to listen to my play-o-meter, my internal sensor that tells me when I’m not playing enough. Mine happens to be installed in my right shoulder—I get very tense and have pain there when I’m stressed. How does your body respond when you are weighed down and not having enough fun? Some people have trouble sleeping, others can’t stop eating. Sometimes I find my tongue taking on a life of its own, saying things I regret because I’ve pushed myself too hard for too long. Not every health issue points to whether or not we are playing enough, and play cannot cure every ailment. But our bodies will tell us when we are out of balance and overstressed. When my body tells me that there is too much stress, I’m learning to ask myself, “When was the last time I played?”

The Playmates

Playmates are simply people you enjoy who make playing more fun! Children make great playmates because, unlike many adults, they haven’t forgotten how to play. Whether child or adult, who makes you laugh until you fall out of your chair? Who likes to do the same things you enjoy? Who is available to hang out or try new things? These are good potential playmates. I find myself drawn to people who know how to play. They tend to be joyful and energetic and just plain fun to be around. We weren’t wired to do life alone but to share it with others. I am always looking for new friends who like to play.

My mind still replays that magical day when we swam with the fish. I might have to wait 48 weeks to be Athena again, but I don’t have to wait that long to play. I have decided to look for joy and wonder and go after everyday opportunities to play. Who knows—I may even try kickball again. Let me know if you are interested … we could all meet at the park and play.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11

Pam Mueller

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