Reclaiming Joy for a Healthier Nervous System: Why Adults Need Play Too

As children, play is how we learn, how we explore the world, test our limits, and build confidence. But somewhere along the road to adulthood, play becomes something we think we need to outgrow. Our schedules fill, our responsibilities expand, and we start to see play as indulgent rather than essential. Yet, science and experience both tell a different story: play is not a luxury; it’s a lifeline for emotional balance, creativity, and true self-care.

Why Play Matters for Adults

Play is a powerful nervous system regulator. It shifts us from the chronic stress response that activates when we think about what we are doing, producing, and achieving, into a state of presence, relaxation, and joy. In that space, our brains release dopamine and endorphins, our bodies soften, and our creativity flows freely. Play helps us reconnect with the parts of ourselves that know how to imagine, laugh, and be spontaneous.

What Play Looks Like for Grown-Ups

Adult play doesn’t have to look like toys or games (though it can). It’s any activity done purely for enjoyment, without the goal of productivity or performance. That might mean:

• Dancing in your kitchen

• Taking a jiu-jitsu or art class

• Playing music or singing loudly

• Gardening, hiking, or exploring nature

• Building, crafting, or tinkering for the fun of it

  
  

The point isn’t what you do...it’s how you feel when you do it! The playful state is one of curiosity, flow, and joy. It’s a return to the present moment.

Play as Self-Care

True self-care goes deeper than rest and recovery. Play acts as a reset for your nervous system, a spark for your creativity, and a bridge to connection with others. It’s also one of the most potent antidotes to burnout. When adults integrate play into their routines, they report higher resilience, better problem-solving, and improved emotional well-being.

Reclaiming Your Inner Child

If it feels foreign or even uncomfortable to “just play,” that’s a clue it might be exactly what’s missing. Start small. Say yes to something silly. Allow yourself to laugh without reason. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to drop the armor of adulthood and rediscover that lightness within.

At its core, play is presence, and presence is healing. When we let ourselves play, we don’t just escape stress; we remember who we truly are beneath it.

So go ahead: color outside the lines, chase the waves, roll on the mats, sing in the car. Because the power of play doesn’t end with childhood—it’s how adults stay alive, awake, and aligned.