Mark Sakraida: C’mon, let your self play. It’s good for you.

Mark Sakraida is the adventure therapy coordinator at Pathways, AAMCs substance use and co-occurring disorder treatment facility. (Courtesy photo) Most parents know about the importance of play for their children to develop essential life skills. But did you know about the importance of play for grown-ups, too? When you think of the word play, you probably imagine a group of children running around, chasing a colorful ball as they laugh and cheer. But play is so much more than that, and it’s not restricted to a certain age group. Play can be defined simply as engaging in activity for pure enjoyment and recreation. Play is for everyone, regardless of age (or profession) Support local journalism. Get four weeks of The Capital for 99 cents. » Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron admitted to playing Angry Birds on his phone as a way to decompress after a long day. Soccer star David Beckham credited Lego toys for saving his life, saying that they served as therapy for a brain injury he sustained after a jet crash. Barack Obama said he enjoyed playing basketball or golf as a way to relax. The best thing about play, besides the fact that it’s something you enjoy, is that while you’re doing it, it’s benefiting your overall wellbeing and impacting your health. It can fuel your creativity, emotional wellbeing and ability to problem solve. It’s part of evolution, but it’s also healthy During one of his TED talks, Peter Gray, research professor of psychology at Boston College , said, “from a biological evolutionary perspective, play is nature’s means of ensuring that young mammals, including young human beings, acquire the skills that they need to acquire to develop successfully into adulthood.” And more research is revealing that the benefits of play for adults are myriad: […]

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