Probably the last thing you feel like when going through cancer and treatments is ‘playing’.
But being playful is so important for our wellbeing and this is definitely not ‘just for kids’.
We normally associate playing with children and our own childhoods but playing doesn’t have an age limit to it.
Being playful is part of who we are, it is a ‘biological imperative‘. All work and no play makes us extremely dull.
Playing, in all its many variations, is distracting, stimulating, energising, rejuvenating and enjoyable. For cancer patients, playing is the perfect stress-reliever!
Many cancer patients refer to loneliness and isolation during their treatments and look for positivity while experiencing anger and sadness. This is no easy task.
Being playful before, during and after treatments can boost positive emotions, foster our wellbeing and nourish our soul at precisely the time we need it the most.
Playing encompasses a range of activities and what you select will be a personal choice.
For me, I love playing Escape Rooms, I love hiking, I love playing board games and I love playing with my dog. Any of these things help to alleviate my stress and make me think about other things.
Playing can be anything you want it to be. As Adam Eason (2015) says
Perhaps it means sharing jokes, pulling legs, dancing, singing, kicking a ball around, dressing up, having party games, going for walks or bike rides, or going to war with a group of 3-8 year olds armed with long balloons!
If you are a bit out of practice then reconnecting with your inner-child is the first step. What did you enjoy doing as a child? Can you revisit some of these again? Live in the moment!
You can never be too playful! Focus on the fun and remember how much good it is doing you.
Children have a right to play.
This is recognised as so vital to their wellbeing and development that Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) creates a specific right for all children to have rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to their age and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.
Unbelievably, although the right to play for children is specifically protected by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, there is no such thing for adults!
Well, adults have a right to play too!
Adults need playtime to relax and recharge. They need time out to be silly and have fun. Why can’t adults enjoy play as a protected status?
Playing is central to our mental, social and emotional health and well-being. Through play, we develop resilience and flexibility, we get creative, we take risks and learn to be flexible. It keeps us young at heart!
Play can also contribute massively to our sense of humour and our sense of hope. It can add layers of joy and vitality to life, heal emotional wounds, relieve anxiety, and connect you to others and the world around you.
During cancer, play is an important investment in self-care. It takes you out of yourself, reduces cortisol and lowers blood pressure. Playing is healthy!
Cancer is very serious so we have to be very playful in return.
Playing can help make things far less intense and it’s a lifehack we can all put into immediate action and weave into our daily lives.
Whether it is micro-moments of play or macro-moments of all day recreation, any type of play will do and if it is spontaneous, so much the better.
Let’s face it, we need to release the endorphins with this experience as much as we can. Being playful and playing helps keep our spirits in the upright position!
Now, go and play!