When was the last time you played, really played, like a kid? When was the last time you unleashed your inner child and did something fun, like fly a kite, play a board game with friends, ride a playground swing or climb a tree? For Catherine Clarke, playtime is a priority. The 37-year-old housewife, who lives in Tung Chung on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island, loves going to SuperPark, an indoor activity park in Tai Kok Tsui that features trampolines, foam pits, tube slides, scooting and skating zones, and even a pedal-car racing track. Designed for kids and adults, the venue is “good fun”, says Clarke, who enjoys bouncing on the trampolines and playing basketball with her two children. “My first time on a trampoline was at SuperPark,” says Clarke, who was born in the Philippines. “Building up that momentum feels so incredible, and when you reach the peak of the bounce you get that weightless feeling, almost like you’re floating or flying. It’s such a euphoric experience. And when I play basketball, I’m instantly transported back to my childhood days, when I used to play the game a lot. “Sometimes you’ll also find me speeding down the slides or zip lining through the air. These activities definitely make me feel like a kid again. Life in Hong Kong can get hectic, so my time at SuperPark, and also other places like the beach and Tamar Park in Admiralty, is an opportunity for me to relax, forget what’s bothering me and just enjoy some self-reflection.” Lesley Ann Chai’s playtime activity is a bit more unusual. The 30-something Singaporean was inspired to get her pilot’s licence after flying in a plane piloted by her father. Chai says that while flying is a serious activity that demands concentration and care, it’s also exhilarating, adding that nothing compares to the sense of freedom and escapism it brings. “It’s a great stress reliever, when I’m in the sky I feel very much removed from my problems on the ground,” says Chai, who works in sales and marketing. “So, it’s a technical activity, but also relaxing in a way. Sometimes, I bring snacks up with me and have a picnic in mid-air.” Playtime is just as important for adults as it is for children. As we get older and take on more responsibilities, we stop making time for ourselves because we’re too busy trying to keep everything else in our lives running smoothly. We may even feel guilty for feeling like we deserve to have fun, especially if we work a lot or have many responsibilities at home. Change your life: smile with Dr Happy’s positive psychology and lift your well-being “As adults, being busy – and feeling tired, irritable, stressed and worried as a result of it – makes us feel important, while having fun equates to being irresponsible and immature,” says Dr Esslin Terrighena, a psychologist at Mind Balance in Hong Kong’s Central district. “But the truth is, even as adults, and maybe especially as adults, we need that balance between work and play. “Play isn’t only about having fun and reconnecting with our inner child; it can have a hugely positive impact on our physical and emotional well-being as well.” Playtime is associated with an increase in the production of dopamine, a hormone that has been linked to improvements in mood, motivation, alertness, and cardiovascular and immune health. This rise in dopamine also has a relaxing effect and helps to reduce worry and anxiety. In addition, play is linked to increased creativity in solving problems, pursuing new ideas, or having fresh insight into challenges. It can free us up to brainstorm spontaneously and set goals without placing limitations on ourselves – things kids do all the time. For children, play is essential for learning and development. “Why do we think this stops when we’re adults?” Terrighena asks. “We do not know everything about the world – our learning is a lifelong task, so our play should be a lifelong activity. “Play has been shown to help us learn things much faster than structured study; something seems to go on in our brain that helps us establish long-term memories – it may be the increased relaxation, motivation and dopamine and the conversely decreased pressure and anxiety that allow us to learn with greater ease. To improve your body, mind and soul, step outside your comfort zone “Play can also train our brain if it involves challenges, like in the case of chess, for example – this training then also benefits other aspects of our lives as it improves our cognitive abilities.” Group play connects us with others. When we are having fun we are more at ease, which in turn makes us feel more comfortable establishing new social connections and strengthening existing bonds. It also sharpens our social skills, since group play requires communication and collaboration, and it fosters a sense of belonging, which boosts well-being. In his book, Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul , US author and psychiatrist Dr Stuart Brown likens play to oxygen, writing that it is “all around us, yet goes mostly unnoticed or unappreciated until it is missing”. The founder of The National Institute for Play in the US, Brown has spent decades studying the power of play and its role in childhood and adulthood. He believes that play is as essential as sleep, and, like sleep, most of us aren’t getting enough of it. Besides lowered immunity and an increased risk of depression and stress-related illnesses, Brown also believes that a life without play may even increase one’s risk of engaging in violence and crime. By engaging in play, whether it’s sports, something creative like painting or even something as simple as laughing, we not only experience a greater sense of well-being, we also contribute to society’s well-being. Playtime can also reconnect you with some of your core that has been left dormant, for example, by picking up tasks you used to love as a child but that your busy life somehow led you away from Dr Esslin Terrighena, psychologist A child’s idea of play may involve making something out of Lego bricks or dressing a doll. But what does adult play look like? Terrighena says it may involve any activity that you truly enjoy, as long as the activity fits into your schedule easily and does not make you feel like you are adding to your to-do list – experimenting with new recipes, making puzzles, practising an instrument, learning pottery, signing up for a theatre production and playing card games with friends are just a few good examples (watching television does not count). These are all fun and engage the brain – creating something tangible can make you feel empowered, learning something new can make you feel able and proud, and performing can make you feel thrilled and excited. “Playtime helps you rediscover the person you are,” says Terrighena. “You not only learn about your needs, wants and abilities; you also learn about your skills and capacity for things like persistence, patience, and creativity. Knowing yourself better can give you confidence, help you set future goals, and improve your well-being. “Playtime can also reconnect you with some of your core that has been left dormant, for example, by picking up tasks you used to love as a child but that your busy life somehow led you away from. Playtime can be very personal, and your play persona may be the missing piece that needs to be added to your work and family persona, to make yourself feel whole and your time on earth feel meaningful.”