Hello friends! Long time no see. I know, I know. It’s totally me. I will not get into an update now about where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to (one word: baby) but I just read an article in Flow Magazine that led to this realization and I just had to jot it down. You ready?
So as an adult, in the back of your mind you always have some responsibilities nagging – paying bills, doing laundry, dishes, cleaning the house. Add a job or pet(s)/kid(s) and chances are high that you don’t have much time or mindspace left for “play time”. And no, I don’t mean sexy play time. I mean the carefree time we spent as a kid, building sandcastles or imaginary forts with pillows, swinging in the playground, jumping on bouncy castles, drawing on the sidewalk with chalk crayons, jumping in puddles in the rain.
Somewhere along the way, we lost that ability to just play. Because we became adults and suddenly there were expectations. First I have to do X before I can do [insert relax activity]. But we never get to it, because then Y and Z also pop up. And that sneaky phone, that somehow always manages to get our attention – even though we are often just mindlessly scrolling. Let your inner child out again.
Right now, block an hour in your calendar in the upcoming week to do something you would normally never do. Go to a playground and swing like you used to as a kid. Or get a ball and go to the park. Get some crayons and make a drawing again of something you drew as a kid. If you go to the beach, build a sandcastle. At home, make some salty flour-dough by mixing 2 parts of flour, 1 part of salt, 1 part of water, a tiny bit of olive oil and just play. Bake it in the oven at low temperature and decorate/paint it.
Why is it important?
“Ok Claudia, I don’t have time for this stuff” – But the truth is: you do. We all do. It’s a matter of prioritizing yourself. “But why would I do this”? That’s an excellent question. Thing is: we all need moments of carefree, mindless play to keep us in shape mentally. This has such an enormous effect on our well-being. If you always keep going going going – compare your mind to an elastic band now – at some point you will snap. Allow your mind to relax, and you will notice you get some headspace again. Just try it once.
Funny thing is, I only started playing again now that I became a mother. I’m building tower blocks, going to the playground and sitting on the swing, playing in ball pitts and my inner child is loving it. The laundry that is waiting in the machine can wait 20 min more.
What makes YOUR inner child happy? Think about it.
Until next time, xoxo
Claudia
Claudiavrancken.com 