Why Adult Play Matters: The Mental Health And Brain Benefits Of Having Fun

It is probably fair to say that at this point, we have got self-care DOWN.

Between Red Light Therapy masks, protecting our peace and revelling in the joy of cancelled plans, we definitely are more informed on wellness than any generation before us.

However, I can’t help but wonder if we have potentially taken it a little too far. In our attempts to stay calm during times of political uncertainty, a global pandemic and innumerable weather crises, have we forgotten the joy of having fun?

I truly believe that in these hard times, fun could be exactly what we need to get us through, and that the old millennial mantra of “YOLO” deserves a revival, pronto. We’re only living once and we need to try to find our pockets of real, loud joy wherever we can.

Writing for The Conversation, two professors from Auckland University explain: “A recent study suggests a potential neurobiological pathway between playfulness and cognitive health in older adults. At its core, play provides a space to reset, allowing us to step outside pressure and performance. In doing so, it supports not only stress regulation, but sustains emotional balance and quality of life across adulthood.

“The value of playfulness also goes beyond the individual. Playful engagement in social contexts helps build shared emotional resources, shaping how people interact and cope together over time.”

They add: “In a world that demands constant busyness, play offers essential qualities we are at risk of losing: spontaneity, togetherness and the freedom to have fun.”

This has been my experience, too. I am not particularly good at doing crafts but I have found that when I take the time to do little crafts with friends, I come away from it feeling completely enriched. The joy is in the creating, not necessarily of the final creation.

In his book “Don’t Call It Art: 10 Ways to Create Like a Kid Again”, Austin Kleon says: “We’re better at life when we are having fun and keeping things light. On the wall above my desk, I keep a framed picture of actor Bill Murray with a goofy look on his face and a Post-It note stuck to it that says ‘STAY LIGHT’”

This is referencing a speech that Murray gave to baseball players: “If you can stay light, and stay loose, and stay relaxed, you can play at the very highest level—as a baseball player and as a human being.”

Kleon adds: “Look around and ask yourself: ‘who’s having fun?’, it should be you.”