Lifestyle

Lifestyle

(Many thoughts from this article have been taken from an article by by Leon Neyfakh in the Boston Globe, July 20th, 2014) 

The adult human can be a serious animal: a worker, a thinker, a problem solver. He or she strives for focus and efficiency, often resisting frivolity in the name of being a grown-up and staying on task. 

Ok, so maybe that’s not always true. Occasionally the most responsible adults indulge in what can only be described as playfulness: pursuing delight in all its forms, engaging in friendly, low-stakes competition, and investing precious resources in amusing themselves and others.  

Psychologists have been telling us for some time now that we derive great benefit when our mind takes a rest from working hard and goes to play. 

René Proyer, a psychologist at the University of Zurich and other researchers say those who exhibit high levels of playfulness—people who are predisposed to being spontaneous, outgoing, creative, fun-loving, and light hearted—appear to be better at coping with stress, more likely to lead active lifestyles, and more likely to succeed academically. 

Now if you have a personality not naturally fitting this description, take heart. Every personality can be playful in its own way. The important thing to understand is that our minds are at their creative best when they are at play, rather than when they are serious and pressured. So, here are some important questions.  

“When am I most creative?”  

“When am I most inspired?”  

“How many creative environments are parts of my week?”  

“How intentional am I about planning regular lifestyle breaks to provide refreshment between work times?” 

“Whose company do I enjoy; who do I laugh with; who inspires me to stop work and start play?” 

Often our most creative, revelatory thoughts come when we are enjoying ourselves and others, or when we deliberately put down our tools and expose ourselves to others who add their inspiring thoughts to ours. It would appear we are “sharper” when we are rested. 

Abraham Lincoln’s productivity secret was to use sharper tools to get the job done more efficiently. He said: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”