Monday Wake up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Play Good morning! Did you find time to play this weekend? By play, I mean did you do something you really enjoy versus all the stuff you “had” to do? We each enjoy our free time differently – for some, it’s quiet time reading a book; for others, it’s running five miles; still others enjoy a round of golf or a night out with friends. In our hectic lives, many of us focus so heavily on work and other commitments that we never seem to have time for pure fun. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we’ve stopped playing. If you don’t plan to have fun, you’re more likely to zone out in front of the TV or sit at a computer when you have some spare time. By giving yourself permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, you can reap oodles of health benefits throughout life. Play can: Relieve stress. Play is fun and can trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote a sense of well-being and can even relieve pain. Improve brain function. Playing chess, completing puzzles or pursuing other activities that challenge the brain can help prevent memory problems and improve brain function. Stimulate the mind and boost creativity. You’ll learn a new task better when it’s fun and you’re in a relaxed and playful mood. Play also can stimulate your imagination, helping you adapt and solve problems easier. Improve relationships and your connection to others. Sharing laughter and fun can foster empathy, compassion, trust and intimacy with others. Play doesn’t have to be a specific activity; it also can be a state of mind. Developing a playful nature can help you loosen up in stressful situations, break the ice with strangers, make new friends and form new business relationships. Keep you feeling young and energetic. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Playing can boost your energy and vitality and even improve your resistance to disease, helping you feel your best. Something to Think About Incorporating more fun and play into your daily life can improve the quality of your relationships as well as your mood and outlook. Even in the most difficult circumstances, taking time away from your troubles to play or laugh can go a long way toward making you feel better. It’s true what they say: Laughter really is the best medicine. Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh and have fun remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Play and laughter help you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments and loss.   Weekly Activity Schedule time to play this week.   Words of Wisdom “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” – Plato “Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.” – Michael Jordan “Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves – those who work hard and play hard.” – Colin Powell “To find a man’s true character, play golf with him.” – P.G. Wodehouse “The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” – Henry Ward Beecher