5 ways to bring more play into your life

Between chores and endless life admin, fun can easily fall to the bottom of the list. Here, a therapist shares simple ways to rediscover your playful side – without adding another task to your list

Being an adult can feel a lot like being on a treadmill. You switch between work and family, between housework and life admin – all while trying to fit in time to exercise and get enough sleep. Before you know it, the week has slipped by, and you’ve barely had a minute to enjoy yourself.

Making time to have fun often comes second to our other responsibilities. Yet research suggests that having fun comes with health benefits, by releasing endorphins and reducing our stress hormones.

There is also clear evidence that adults benefit from playfulness just as children do, with studies showing that adults who engage in playful activities tend to cope better with stress, experience more positive emotions, show greater resilience when facing challenges, and report higher levels of life satisfaction.

So, how can you make room for more fun in your life?

Create a fun list

“A fun list is small, cheap, and immediate, like twenty little things that make you smile, like a specific playlist or a particular walk,” says therapist and Counselling Directory member Tina Chummun.

Fun feels achievable when it is a small addition to the day, rather than like one more thing to schedule. They don’t need to cost the earth either. Need to walk the dog? Try geocaching. “It turns an ordinary walk into a global treasure hunt using a free app; there are almost certainly hidden caches within a mile of wherever you’re reading this,” says Tina.

“Become a tourist in your own town and do the things locals don’t bother with,” she adds. “Try cloud spotting, pressing wildflowers, or photographing every unusual front door in your area. These are low-effort activities that help you spot delight.”

Try to be spontaneous in small ways

You could also try building more spontaneous moments into your day, as novelty helps create enjoyment. “Get off the bus a stop earlier than normal and walk a route you’ve never taken,” says Tina. “Say yes to the invitation. Give yourself a ‘yes hour’ rather than a whole day.”

Decision fatigue can kill spontaneity, so try using dice to select an activity with friends. “Write six mini adventures on slips of paper, like different games or visiting a new café, and let a roll of the dice pick your evening,” Tina adds.

Learn a useless skill

As adults, we sometimes forget that not everything we do needs to be productive. Sometimes, it’s enough to learn something simply for the joy of it. Learning a skill also has cognitive benefits. When we learn, our brains adapt, rewire, and create new neural pathways, which play a crucial role in keeping our minds sharp.

“Learn one gloriously pointless skill, like juggling, whistling through your fingers, a single card trick, or naming three constellations,” says Tina. “Useless by design, which is exactly what makes it play.”

Spend time with playful people

Different friends bring different things into our lives. Making time for playful, light-hearted people can lift your mood – they might be up for trying something new, like a Zumba class, crafts, or a day trip to the coast.

“The activities that delighted you as a child are a shortcut back to playfulness, whether that be roller skating, colouring books, LEGO, conkers, or climbing a tree,” says Tina.

Acknowledge feelings of guilt or fear

For many, feelings of guilt or shame make it difficult to let go and have fun. We live in a culture that prizes productivity, and from a young age, we’re often told that rest and play must be earned.

“We internalise the message that sitting down to enjoy ourselves while there’s a to-do list undone is lazy or self-indulgent. So when we carve out time for play, the inner critic pipes up,” says Tina, who recommends a process called ‘The As’ to help alleviate guilt.

“First is awareness – noticing where your resistance to fun actually comes from. The second is acceptance, and meeting it kindly rather than judging yourself for struggling to switch off. The third is authentic action, which means giving yourself genuine permission to play in the way that’s true to you, not the way you think you’re supposed to.”