How’s your PLAY Life?!
Take our Player’s Self Eval test: How do you score? Our Top 11 Tips help assure your health, creative productivity, connections and joy.
Player’s Self-Evaluation Quiz
HOW’s YOUR “PLAY” LIFE?
This exercise allows you to explore some of the qualities of Play, and assess your relationship to them. It is meant to stir thoughts and feelings, challenge growth and help you enjoy life more thoroughly. Respond with a YES or NO to each statement. Suggested answers/points are at the end. Please be honest with yourself, don’t worry about your “score.” Use the results for self-guidance.
1. I frequently indulge in leisurely activity, in unstructured time. YES NO
2. I usually wear a watch, even if I don’t have an appointment to make. YES NO
3. I exercise primarily to keep fit, rather than for the fun of it. YES NO
4. I am a “toucher,” and often spontaneously give and get hugs. YES NO
5. I enjoy playing with kids -or pets -on their terms. YES NO
6. When tending the garden, I take time to smell the roses. YES NO
7. I am in touch with my feelings most of the time and welcome them. . YES NO
8. I can invent stuff on the spur of the moment: ideas, amusements, action steps. YES NO
9. I would prefer a 40-hour work week to a 40 hour play week. YES NO
10. I work hard and play hard, taking both very seriously. YES NO
11. A good ball game is enjoyable regardless of who wins or loses. YES NO
12. I have at least one pastime I indulge for its own sake, goal free. YES NO
13. When I see playground swings, I might indulge myself with a to-and-fro. YES NO
14. I can turn any board meeting into a playground. YES NO
15.I have experienced carefree lovemaking, and recommend it. YES NO
16. Family settings are the best place for me to “let my hair down.” YES NO
17. I enjoy friendly joshing around with perfect strangers. YES NO
18. I can relax others who are stressed out with my creative imagination and wit. YES NO
19. I go to social or networking events seeking playmates. YES NO
20. I tak 20. I take time every day to pleasure at least one of my senses –consciously. YES NO
21. I prefer efficient showers to leisurely bubble baths. YES NO
22. Playing can be fun, but it is really more appropriate for children than adults. YES NO
23. I like to disguise my personal discomfort by making people laugh. YES NO
24. I can name at least three life skills that regular playing provides. (Name ‘Em.) YES NO
25. I have experienced how playing with someone or something makes us friends.YES NO
26. I am lonesome and feel like I don’t belong much of the time. YES NO
27. Sometimes I really enjoy picking out my clothing and getting “dressed.” YES NO
28. I find that there are very few people to play with. YES NO
29. I prefer predictable activities where I have more control over what happens. YES NO
30. I experience playing as a very spiritual time and connection. YES NO
Each playful response counts as 1 point. Tally your results accordingly.
1 YES A definition of playing
2 NO True play has an unhurried, unstructured time frame/feeling.
3 NO Play has no goal.
4 YES Touchy subject: playful touch is kind, friendly.
5 YES Be willing to trust unknowns.
6 YES Aaaahhhhhh…
7 YES True play embraces life as safe, everything as ‘friend’ -even emotions.
8 YES Free, wild imagination characterizes play.
9 NO Thank goodness
10 NO -“Serious” and “hard” are not players’ terms.
11 YES Even a ‘bad’ ballgame can be enjoyed by a Player…
12 YES Glad to hear it.
13 YES -Go for a swing, even if just in your imagination…
14 YES -Tell me your secret –and hurrah for you!
15 YES Never lose it.
16 YES Even if they disapprove, “being yourself” is the best policy.
17 Play is a perfect way to make a friend out of a stranger.
18 YES Keep it up, the world needs you
19 YES “Networking” is only play if you are completely unattached to “results”
20 YES “Sense”-ual pleasure is a major key to reduce stress, increase well-being.
21 NO Add an extra point for adding music, candles, etc.
22 NO We never outgrow its benefits.
23 NO Play’s ‘safety’ allows us to drop the persona masks, and feel acceptable.
24 YES Give yourself two points!
25 YES A hallmark of being a player
26 NO Best remedy is to remember how to play…
27 YES Turn any ordinary activity into conscious playtime.
28 YES –NO: “Yes” gets a point if you understand the pain and fear that most people have around their loss of play mode, and “No” gets you a point if you initiate real play with them, anyway -bless you!
29 NO — Spontaneity, love and fearlessness are hallmarks of authentic play
30 Yes — Play blesses Spirit with kindness, enthusiasm and wonder.
SCORING
26–30 Points Congratulations, you “grokk” and keep it up.
21–25 Points You are playing, just trust and indulge it more.
16–20 Points Increased understanding of the nature of play will help a lot.
11–15 Points Understanding real play and what intimidates you about it is essential for joyfulfillment.
1–10 Points Fullscale recovery is possible, and will take lots of courage and experienced support.
1–20 Points: Health issues from “stress” are likely: Please lighten up. We need you around.
If you have taken this quiz, you are a Player at Heart:
never give up on your Heart.
TIPS for Being More Playful
1. Take a Play History
Drum up those old playful feelings you’ve lost over years of adulthood by taking a moment to reflect on how you played as a kid: Did you play mostly by yourself, or with friends (or furry friends)? What made you feel free, so you’d lose track of time and truly engage in the moment? Maybe you created imaginary worlds or had invisible friends or built sandcastles on the beach. As you think about this, notice if the feeling of play arises. If you notice a smile, let it linger.
2. Be a Playmaker
Having a playful life means choosing right here, right now to actively engage in play on a regular basis. What we choose to do makes a big impact on our health and happiness. Do you explore, learn, look for new experiences, travel, or spend time with people who nourish you? If you choose to be an active playmaker, you’ll not only have a lot more fun — science shows you may be tapping into the fountain of youth.
3. Collect Your Toys
Playing the game Trouble may not feel as playful now as it did when you were a kid (then again, it might). So it’s important to think about what things bring you joy. Consider activities that take very little effort, and some that take more effort. Maybe it’s cooking new foods, doing yoga, riding horses, visiting a trendy neighborhood, kissing, hiking, flying kites, playing a musical instrument, putting on sexy clothes, or looking through art books. Collect a list of your toys and then plan a playdate.
4. Make a Playdate
Why should kids get to have all the fun?! Play isn’t a habit for most adults, so it’s important to intentionally make time for it in our lives — and that means scheduling playdates for ourselves, whether solo or with a friend. Just like you schedule your days with responsibilities, workouts, meditations, and to-do lists, playdates equally deserve a recurring space on your calendar.
5. Find a Playmate
For many of us life is more fun when we have someone to do things with. Who can you recruit to be your partner in your mission to bring play back?
6. Bring Some Attitude
Steve Gross’ title at the Life is Good Kids Foundation is “Chief Playmaker” — how cool is that? His entire job revolves around play because research has found play to be one of the greatest resiliency factors for kids. “Play is not reserved for the sandbox, it’s not reserved for flip flops, beer pong, or Frisbee golf,” Gross says. “We can bring it into everything we do.” Bring a playful mindset to whatever you’re doing and you can make even the hardest of work feel fun.
7. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
And as the late Richard Carlson famously said, “It’s all small stuff!” With that said, being playful can be difficult when faced with all of the very real responsibilities we deal with every day. Without minimizing the weight of these issues, we can begin relating to them differently. We spend so much of our sacred time worrying and stressing about what happened or what might happen and we become so tightly wound that even in quiet moments it can feel nearly impossible to settle and relax into them. See if you can keep coming back to your present moment experience — returning to what you know is real and true right now.
8. Laugh More
No, seriously. Laugh! More! Not only does it actually feel good, it also releases the good-feeling vibes of our old friend cortisol. Some say it even helps strengthen your abdominal muscles. Watch a comedy, find a laughter yoga class near you, tell some jokes, and if you can’t seem to find anything funny then think of something that made you laugh in the past and let yourself relive it. Or you can just smile — but be careful…smiling has been known to lead to laughter.
9. Find Small Ways to Love Yourself
Sometimes it’s not so easy to play, especially when we’re out of practice. We have to learn to take it easy on ourselves and find small ways to love ourselves. When things get tough, try a self-compassion break: Take a deep breath, place your hand on your stomach or heart, take a walk, or soak for a while in the tub (and remember to bring the rubber duckies).
10. Be a Kid Again
Studies show that when you put yourself in youthful environments it impacts your mind and body. Fly a kite, swing on swings, play tag, throw the ball around. It may seem silly (and even uncomfortable at first) but if you surrender to the experience you might just find yourself smiling!
11. Take Time for Yourself
Many of us put ourselves last on our priority list, and setting aside time to do things you enjoy can feel indulgent. But taking time each week to do something YOU enjoy — that’s just living a happy, mindful life.
