As an almost adult, man I gotta say, I would do anything to get nap time back.
But are there some ways acting like a child, can make life better as an adult.
Hey guys Julia here for DNews
Well I now have to cut the crusts off my own pb&js but life is going pretty okay as adult.
I do miss some things, like recess and naps, but lately research is showing that bringing
back certain kid’s games can do grown ups some good.
Because researchers can never take things too seriously, two researchers defined adult
playfulness as “a predisposition to define and engage in activities in a non-serious
or fanciful manner to increase enjoyment.”
Very… playful, guys.
And grown ups do this all the time.
We go out for karaoke, we ski, we improv, whatever.
So why do we keep up the games?
Well some research suggests it could help us find a mate.
One study published in the American Journal of Play found that playfulness was important
in partner selection.
Participants filled out a survey of desired traits in a partner, and traits like 'sense
of humor,' 'fun loving' and 'playful' topped both men and women’s lists.
The researchers suggested this means these traits arose from sexual selection.
And that maybe playfulness in men suggested to women that they were less aggressive and
playfulness in women suggested to men that they were healthy, youthful and maybe fertile.
So what kind of activities do adults “play”?
Well skiing was researched in a study published in the journal Applied Research in Quality
of Life.
The researchers found that skiing had high rates of engagement and involvement.
Engagement in this case meaning, you get so into doing a thing, you lose sense of everything
else around you.
You get lost in it.
Involvement in this case is how much that activity gives you a sense
of meaning and a sense of being a part of something greater than yourself.
The researchers suggest that like participating in fun activities like skiing with high engagement
and involvement helps people grow emotionally and socially.
One of the researchers said that "Adult playfulness can influence people's happiness...and contribute
to overall well-being,” Which can buffer us from life’s stresses.
But if you want to find some peace and don’t have any ski slopes near you, maybe you should
pick up a coloring book.
One of the most popular adult play activities lately is coloring.
Not your typical, princess style book either.
Oh no, these coloring books are complex and intricate.
These patterns repeat and weave across the page.
These kind of books are helping tons of people de-stress and relax.
Research like one study published in the journal Palliative & Supportive Care shows that making
art can often help those who deal with stress and anxiety and improves coping resources.
Yet facing a blank page can be daunting.
Where do you even start?
But coloring books give us a way into our creativity without seeming overwhelming.
The lines guide us and all we have to choose is what color the next flower will be.
It’s definitely an engaging task that helps us leave our stress behind.
Psychologists say that coloring has a calming effect.
Psychologist Gloria Martinez Ayala told the Huffington Post that “The relaxation that
it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling
emotion that is affected by stress.
So play does all sorts of things for us as adults!
It helps us focus, helps us destress, and of course it could even help us land the one.
So go outside and play!
After a ten-year wait, the all-new Tacoma is finally here.
It’s been fully redesigned to play whenever and wherever you want.The new Toyota Tacoma
encourages you to break the rules, and PLAY NOW.