Studies and public service are excellent, but sometimes you have to let your hair down for some well-deserved rest and relaxation. Play is something that is often under-valued in our society and one thing that is often maligned as laziness. Though it can easily become a negative distraction, letting your mind go with an act of pure enjoyment is something that even many experts agree is vital to student success. From promoting social bonds to encouraging creativity and imagination, play can have tremendous benefits that help to ease stress and allows greater concentration when it counts.
The type of play can also greatly vary. From dancing to board games, concerts to video games, escape rooms, sudoku, reading, and hiking, play is a way of simply putting worries and stress aside and allowing one to enjoy some of the pleasures of life that can often be the reason why we worked so hard in the first place. Put some time in your life for play. Maybe it’s something you have to plan, but try to include some play into most of your days and give yourself a break and allow an opportunity to connect with others and yourself.
Tips to increase play:
-Try to spend some time with the children in your life. Sometimes they are the best teachers and often have no problem being playful.
-Sing or dance when possible. You can be a driver’s seat songstress if you want to be!
-Try new things.
Here’s something that delves a little further on the importance of play, particularly for college students: https://www.theedadvocate.org/importance-play-universities-can-learn-preschools/#targetText=Play%20supports%20socialisation%20and%20decreases,driven%20play%20out%20of%20schools.
