Opinion: Mental Health Awareness Week - Let's make more time for play

Dr Maria Montessori was an Italian philosopher, humanitarian and early childhood educator, the first to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She famously said that "Play is the work of the child," highlighting the essential role of play in how children learn and develop. The joyful sight of children playing and hearing them laugh is something that never fails to bring a smile to my face and leaves me wondering, when and why do we stop playing as we age?

Holistic models of wellbeing point to the value of attending to our physical health, our relationships, our emotional wellbeing and our spirituality – which can be encompassed by living in line with our values. Our mood and mental health can be enhanced by mindfully considering what we do, when and with who, and trying to attend to all aspects of our health. One of the ways to look at your activities is with the acronym ACE:

• ACHIEVE - work, chores, study
• CONNECT -  with friends, family, community
• ENJOY - play, fun, pleasure

I have noticed with many clients that when we map out what they do in a day, there is a heavy focus on activities that bring about achievement – there is an end goal, a timeline and often a deadline. The focus is on productivity and outcomes, and while this can bring a sense of achievement, it can also bring feelings of pressure. Following on from those things people ‘have to do’, people are conscious of prioritising connections with their loved ones and make time for these activities too. However, when we talk about what they do to play – things for pure enjoyment and fun - many of my clients pause and struggle to answer this question.

As we move into Mental Health Awareness week, I would like to gently encourage people to consciously and intentionally make time for play – activities that are valuable in and of themselves, for the pleasure and fun that they bring. Play also often means being physically active, doing things that are in line with your values that bring about positive emotions, and can involve other people you like and care about. Play can be the thing that links all aspects of wellbeing and brings them together into one activity. But this doesn’t have to be the goal. Play can also help connect us to more innocent times, as we engage in activities that we enjoyed when we were younger – or can help expand our range of positive activities as we try new things just for fun. There doesn’t need to be any end goal or anything to achieve or tick off, other than physically and emotionally healthy pleasure.

Interestingly, when we are engaged in fun activities, not only can they lift our mood, but can also reduce anxiety, as we remain in the present moment, engaged in an activity that can bring about gratitude for the enjoyment we experience, and optimism for more positive experiences in the future. When you are playing, your brain can relax, as we don’t stop for fun when there are threats around to manage. Therefore, stopping and prioritising play can be interpreted by your brain as there is no danger around to worry about. It can reduce rumination, get your body moving and produce positive and calming neurotransmitters in the brain and uplift your soul.

As this week unfolds, map out your ACE activities and look at the proportions you give to Achievement, Connection and Enjoyment. Think about prioritising play in your week; remember what play you enjoyed when you were young and what play you enjoy now or would like to explore. Remember it doesn’t have to be onerous or massively time-consuming; starting with 5-10 minutes every day would be great. Maybe dance to your favourite songs after work or first thing in the morning (dance has amazing health benefits!) or do some arts and crafts. It could be spending time on gaming – yes that is still play! – or a board game with some friends. But at the very least, make sure that at least once a week you set aside time for something that has no goal attached but pleasure. After all, when we look at the joy, learning and brain development that play provides for children, it surely reminds us that this is important for us as adults also.

Professor Kirsty Ross is a Senior Clinical Psychologist and the acting Head of the School of Psychology.