“OK Steve I’ll give this playfulness thing a chance, what exactly do I do?”
I’m So glad you asked! 😁 Actually I’m a little hesitant prescribing a set of activities. First off, everyone is different. Secondly there is just a smidgen less than a Gazillion ways to be playful. Fifthly it’s more of a frame of mind than a behavior. Therefore keep in mind that these are more suggestions and inspiration than requirements.
Use Your Body: skip or run instead of walking, do a Silly Walk ala Monty Python, or walk backwards, dance to the radio or to just to the music in your head, dance down the street for that matter or with your dog. Heck, dance down the street with your dog! 😄 Take teeny tiny steps, or giant ones or jump. Do random somersaults or cartwheels. Spin around in place until you’re thoroughly dizzy, swing your arms, sit on the floor, gesticulate wildly when you talk like some 2 bit Thespian. You get the idea.
Pretend: Talk like you’re somebody else; your uncle, some celebrity, your favorite cartoon character(you don’t have a favorite cartoon character? that’s a problem) 😊, like a pirate(aaarghh), a Penguin 🐧 yes silly they talk. Imagine your home Really Is a castle, use your Super Powers, imagine your cat really really does talk to you; the Brazilian accent Is a bit perplexing. Pretend your bicycle is The Batmobile, your car The Enterprise, maybe we all live underwater.
Toys: PUT THAT DOWN! I mean real toys; kids toys. Plastic dinosaurs or ninjas, hula-hoops, yoyos, jacks, GI Joe, play Operation, get some Silly String, or Play-Doh. Find yourself some squirt guns, blow bubbles, borrow a skate board. Make Marvels with building blocks. Take the toy trucks to the sand box. Fly a kite.
Play games: No not Settlers of Catan or Ticket to Ride. Skip rope, Kick the Can, Hide and Seek, Duck, Duck, Goose, Red light Green light. Parcheesi, Battleship, hangman, dots, paper football, Red Rover, Four Square, Hopscotch. Rock/Paper/Scissors, Odds or Evens.
Do something different/Change things up: have your salad for dessert, go a different way to work, try wearing a new color, buy a cool hat, watch a movie other than your favorite genre, go see a new sport, see if you still dislike Blue Cheese after all these years, take a class just because, buy a coloring book and some Crayolas, find a new hobby, shop at a different store, talk with a stranger, buy a book on something you nothing about.
That should be enough for now; enough to get you started. Hopefully one of the above, or more, will grab you. Perhaps these tidbits will put your mind in overdrive and you’ll dream up new ones.
Now you have No excuse; Go Play! 😁
The Playful Life 