When was the last time you played or change your routine?

We all have been affected by a prolonged period of uncertainty and isolation. 

You may have aced your shopping or exercise routine or perfected the “work from home” arrangement, but after a while, the new normal feels stagnated because we don’t get as much stimulus through interactions with people in person or going to events or social activities. 

You may totally enjoy this quieter time or have been super busy trying to start/finish many ambitious personal projects. But still, you may find yourself getting tired easily and feeling restless somehow.

No matter what, one thing is clear, we all need to replenish our energy and renew our mind from time to time. 

That’s where Play comes in. 

Why play is important to raise our energy

I wrote about the importance of play and the need to change our routine in my recent newsletter to my subscribers. I shared how I felt stuck and stagnated because of the lack of play in particular. For every short period of free time I got (it means went my baby is sleeping), I went straight into business work or household chore and left literally no room for play in the last 4 months.

Dr Stuart Brown’s book title says it all “Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul”. There is more to play then we perhaps have given credit to. As adults, we are taught to do more, achieve more, take more responsibilities and to succeed. Rarely we are asked to play more. However, there is evidence to suggest play is essential for us to live a more fulfilled and wholehearted life. 

Play can be defined in several ways but here is how I see it. Play is something you enjoy doing without necessary carry a purpose, and often you don’t feel the time passing as you are so fully absorbed in the play.   

“It energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.” - Dr Stuart Brown

Change your routine and try something new

Then there are the benefits of breaking up your routine  When we are doing something over and over again, our brain is used to the neural pathways that have been established. The good thing is, we are getting better at whatever that we are doing through practice, but when we do something new, it gives our brain the opportunity to explore new and unfamiliar territories. That’s when creativity, innovation and excitement happen. 

That’s the reason why we need to change up our routine or try something new from time to time to get a resurge of energy. 

You may find my previous podcast episode #77 Good Habits of Sustainable Success and Higher Productivity useful if you want to get some ideas on forming new good habits. 

The COVID 19 pandemic affects everyone differently, and it is hard to measure the impact collectively. But one thing is clear, more than ever, we need to take better care of physical and mental health, our energy level and resilience.

So putting everything in context, I have two suggestions for you. They are also reminders for myself.