Playfulness: The Horrors Are Never-ending, Yet I Remain Silly

For some reason, the older we get, the less we make time for fun. Why is that? Playfulness has so many benefits and pretty much no downsides, unless not done in moderation. But you can say that about everything in life. In this article, I’m going to make the argument for all of you to engage in playfulness and to start being more silly. Let me know if I’ve convinced you or not in the comments below once you’ve finished reading the article.

 

 

What Is Playfulness?

 

Playfulness plays an important role in a child’s development and is ubiquitous in childhood (Harkness and Bundy, 2001). It also improves their wellbeing (Van Vleet and Feeney, 2015). It is the art of being fun and lively (Vocabulary.com). But it doesn’t have to stop at childhood.

 

You’ll find playfulness when you daydream, when you pretend, when you make things up, when you make things for the fun of it

Psychology Today

 

Proyer (2013) found that adult playfulness had a significantly positive effect on life satisfaction and wellbeing, with playful people having a predisposition for enjoyable activities and a more active way of life.

 

Playfulness, whether in children or adults, gives us the unique ability to pretty much transform any environment into something entertaining, enjoyable, and stimulating (Barnett, 2007). Being silly from time to time also helps us adults and children experience the simple joy of life that this form of playfulness brings (CYO Camp Ranch Framasa).

 

This is how glimmers and microjoys can make all the difference to us. It doesn’t take much to turn a bad day around, whether it’s a funny joke or a funny video. If it gets you laughing or smiling, things just stop feeling so bad. Therefore, people who are open to tapping into their playfulness are the ones who’ll benefit most from this (Barnett, 2007), but it can also have a knock-on effect on those around them as well. I know I love to joke around. I’m not sure how I would have made it this far in life without doing that.

 

One of my go-to strategies when I’m feeling down is to watch a comedy or standup show. It works wonders for getting me back on my feet. Even the British Heart Foundation agrees with me on this.

 

 

Laughter Is The Best Medicine!

 

A study by Saffi et al. (2023) found that people with coronary heart disease who watch comedy shows regularly saw benefits to their heart and circulatory system when compared to a group who watched documentaries. However, it should be noted that this was a small study of only 26 patient participants.

 

That said, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states that the relief theory shows us how laughter works as a pressure-relief value on the nervous system like it would on a steam boiler. Therefore, humour, laughter, playfulness, microjoys, etc. are a mechanism which we can use to release tension and pent-up emotions. Freeing us from the likes of stress, anxiety, and fear. At least according to the relief theory. This is an outlet we all need (CYO Camp Ranch Framasa).

 

A good example of this is how some of us responded during covid. People across the country, and maybe the world, were dressing up in black tie and fancy dresses just to take the bins out. This middle finger to covid even made it to news organisations like The Guardian. Sometimes how we manage stressful life events will change how negatively it affects us, and nothing says that more like being silly and dressing up to take the rubbish out.

 

As social creatures, the fact that oxytocin is released when we laugh makes it a useful way to create bonds with other people (Case Western Reserve University). Laughter is also infectious, more so than a yawn. When around people, you’re more likely to laugh when something is funny than you would if you saw that same funny thing on your own. Furthermore, according to Mayo Clinic, laughter can also relieve pain. However, if you laugh so much that you fall over or you can’t breathe, then maybe not so much.

 

 

How To Be Tap Into Your Playfulness And Silly Side

 

Grounding

According to Dr Meg Arroll, playfulness and being silly can anchor us in the moment, which can help mitigate worry. Thus, it might also be good for managing anxiety by grounding you in the moment.

 

Words

My partner and I are constantly creating new nicknames for each other and doing silly things. My partner once blocked the toilet, so I spawned a new nickname for them, Dr Toilet Blocker. It can be that simple to inject some fun into your adult relationship. So use silly words when they’re not expecting it, create those silly memories, and then you can reminisce about them for the rest of your life (Psychology Today). Being silly doesn’t mean you’re not still an adult, unfortunately.

 

Gifts

I doubled down on that Dr Toilet Blocker nickname for my partner by getting them a plunger engraved with the following message: “Dr Toilet Blocker’s Toilet Unblocker”. A gift I gave them for their birthday, with other gifts as well. My partner was in stitches when they opened their tongue-in-cheek gift. This is a cherished memory we’ll never forget. As Dr Meg Arroll pointed out to The Mirror, silliness is a powerful positive emotion. Just find a way to be silly that works for you.

 

When I found out my friend was going to become a parent, the first thing I did was buy several books on dad jokes so they’d be ready to be a parent.

 

 

Funny videos

The internet is awash with funny videos. Subscribe to some funny content creators on YouTube or follow funny Instagram or TikTok creators and get that sweet laughter fix. Then, whenever you’re having a bad day, hit those creators up for a five-minute happy session. In fact, playfulness might even help with being productive (The Guardian), especially if you use the Pomodoro Technique. So If you’re working hard, take a short break to watch a funny video.

 

Lego

I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again, Lego is a great way to switch off and practice mindfulness. Me and another therapist where I work like to build Lego sets. It might not be the same level of playfulness as the other items I’ve suggested, but you can have a lot of fun with Lego. Give it a go, or find another hobby that you might have written off as being for kids and have some fun.

 

Jokes

When I was a kid, there was always a new joke making its rounds, and I kind of miss that. So why not start looking up jokes, such as in the dad joke books I got my friend, and don’t forget to share the jokes (MEandMine)?

 

 

Summary

 

As I hope you’ve come to believe, playfulness does have a lot of positives. It helps manage stress and anxiety. It can also change a bad day into a better one. Not only that, there are even social benefits and health ones as well. So what’s not to like about playfulness?

 

Remember, there’s nothing wrong with laughing at the world, even when it’s going to hell in a handbasket. However, don’t do this at the expense of others (Mayo Clinic). As Wil Wheaton said, “Don’t be a dick“.

 

As always, leave your feedback in the comments section below. Also, please share your experiences with playfulness and being silly in the comments section below. Don’t forget, if you want to stay up-to-date with my blog, you can sign up for my newsletter below. Alternatively, click the red bell icon in the bottom right corner to get push notifications for new articles.

 

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References

 

Barnett, L. A. (2007). The nature of playfulness in young adults. Personality and individual differences, 43(4), 949-958. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886907000633 and https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lynn-Barnett-3/publication/222846303_The_nature_of_playfulness_in_young_adults/links/5ac12daeaca27222c75b569d/The-nature-of-playfulness-in-young-adults.pdf.

Harkness, L., & Bundy, A. C. (2001). The test of playfulness and children with physical disabilities. The Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 21(2), 73-89. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/153944920102100203.

Proyer, R. T. (2013). The well-being of playful adults: Adult playfulness, subjective well-being, physical well-being, and the pursuit of enjoyable activities. European Journal of Humour Research, 1(1), 84-98. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rene-Proyer/publication/254256930_The_well-being_of_playful_adults_Adult_playfulness_subjective_well-being_physical_well-being_and_the_pursuit_of_enjoyable_activities/links/0046351fbd1d2906f2000000/The-well-being-of-playful-adults-Adult-playfulness-subjective-well-being-physical-well-being-and-the-pursuit-of-enjoyable-activities.pdf.

Saffi, M., Franzoni, L., Nery, R., Donelli Da Silveira, A., Andrade, C., Carvalho, G., & Stein, R. (2023). Laughter therapy cardiac rehabilitation in patients with stable coronary artery disease: a randomized clinical trial. European Heart Journal, 44(Supplement_2), ehad655-2593. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/44/Supplement_2/ehad655.2593/7391010.

Van Vleet, M., & Feeney, B. C. (2015). Play behavior and playfulness in adulthood. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 9(11), 630-643. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/download/41889053/Play_Behavior_and_Playfulness_in_Adultho20160202-25639-d3yv4a.pdf and https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12205.