We need to bring back play.Credit:iStock
I was at a stalemate. I liked the ritual of getting dolled up and being somewhere with an all-important “vibe”,but I realised there was a limit to the amount of fun you can have when you’re sitting down,spending money you shouldn’t be.
When 10 per cent rent hikes become par for the course of living in Sydney,you’d be crazy to throw what disposable cash you have at salt-rimmed drinks. There aren’t many positives afoot,but if you forced me to find one for a cash prize,I’d say the cost of living has helped push my friends into something I now enjoy more than any $8 oyster:play.
There are manyreasons we give children toys and schedule time to play. It can improve their ability to plan,organise,get along with others and regulate their emotions. Why then can’t this be applied to adults? I’ll go out on a limb here,like I’m in the circus,and hypothesise that adults need it just as much – maybe more if you find yourself cooped up in an office,constantly circling back.
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So,we need to bring back play:playing games,play-fighting,playing the recorder (if you hate your neighbours).
It’s good to let your imagination run wild with this one,but I have some initial suggestions for injecting play into your everyday life. This morning,for example,I woke up with uncharacteristic early-morning beans and had the urge to do something physical. I got up and went to wake up my mum (I slept over at my parents’ house but didn’t wet the bed). We launched off towards the local park with homemade instant coffees in hand.
Instead of doing something joyless like lunges for “bone strength”,we went on the swings. We swung and talked and twisted the metal ropes and drew circles in the bark with our runners. It felt good.