Incorporating Play and Experiences Into Your Everyday Life
The Forgotten Art of Play
Most adults have forgotten how to play. We fill our days with meetings, to-do lists, and measurable goals, believing that play is a luxury we can’t afford. But the truth is, the benefits of play for adults are profound and practical. Play fuels creativity, emotional intelligence, and overall well-being. It’s the missing link between high performance and true fulfillment.
Incorporating play in everyday life isn’t about being irresponsible; it’s about being fully alive. Play activates joy, curiosity, and energy, the exact ingredients we need for innovation, connection, and leadership.
Why Play Matters for Growth and Leadership
In a fast-paced, high-stakes world, play may seem irrelevant. Yet neuroscience shows that play reduces stress, strengthens relationships, and stimulates the brain’s reward centers, boosting motivation, problem-solving, and adaptability.
For leaders and professionals, the benefits go far beyond relaxation:
Increased creativity and innovation through experimentation and curiosity
Greater resilience by reducing cortisol and building emotional agility
Improved relationships and teamwork through laughter and shared experience
Enhanced mindfulness and presence, grounding you in the moment
In short, play is essential for personal growth and leadership development.
The Power of Experiential Living
Play and experiential living are deeply intertwined. Both awaken your senses and shift your mindset from survival to engagement. When you immerse yourself in new experiences, your world expands and so does your capacity for empathy, flexibility, and joy.
Experiential living means actively participating in life rather than observing it. It’s about learning through doing, connecting through curiosity, and finding meaning through exploration. Whether it’s trying a new hobby, traveling somewhere unfamiliar, or taking a different route home, every new experience rewires your brain for creativity and courage.
When you incorporate play into your everyday life, you begin to approach everything, from problem-solving to relationships, with a renewed sense of wonder and possibility.
How to Bring Play Into Your Everyday Life
Reclaiming play doesn’t require grand gestures or extra hours in your schedule. It’s about small, intentional shifts that make your daily experiences richer, lighter, and more joyful. Here are five ways to begin:
1. Redefine What Play Means to You
For adults, play doesn’t always mean games. It means presence. It’s any activity done for its own sake, for the joy of creation, expression, or discovery. That could be painting, hiking, cooking, dancing, or simply laughing with friends.
Ask yourself: What activities energize me? When do I feel most alive? Those are your doorways back to play.
2. Incorporate Play Into Work
Incorporating play into work transforms how you lead and collaborate. Instead of approaching projects with tension or fear of failure, bring curiosity and experimentation. Create spaces for creative thinking, playful brainstorming, and “what if” conversations.
In teams, play fosters connection, trust, and psychological safety, the foundation of innovative workplace culture. It allows people to show up authentically and bring their best ideas forward.
3. Create Micro-Moments of Joy
You don’t need hours to play. You need intention. Try:
Taking mindful breaks to stretch, move, or breathe
Listening to music that shifts your energy
Keeping playful reminders near your workspace
Smiling more often—it’s a simple form of everyday mindfulness
Tiny acts of joy build emotional resilience and remind your nervous system that life isn’t just about performance, it’s also about presence.
4. Say Yes to New Experiences
New experiences are the fuel of growth. Every time you try something unfamiliar, you strengthen your adaptability and open new neural pathways. Attend a class, explore a new trail, or strike up a conversation with someone outside your usual circle.
The essence of experiential living is curiosity—stepping into life with an open mind and heart.
5. Model Playfulness for Others
If you lead a team, family, or community, your example matters. When you bring humor, levity, and humanity into your interactions, others feel permission to do the same.
Incorporating play into leadership isn’t about being less serious. It’s about creating an environment where creativity and connection thrive.
The Science of Play, Joy, and Resilience
Research from positive psychology and neuroscience reveals that play increases cognitive flexibility, creativity, and overall happiness. When we engage in play, our brains release endorphins and dopamine—chemicals that improve mood, focus, and learning.
From a leadership perspective, play builds emotional intelligence by teaching self-regulation, empathy, and adaptability. These qualities are critical for navigating uncertainty and leading with authenticity.
Play doesn’t distract from productivity, but amplifies it. It restores balance, strengthens creativity, and unlocks flow.
Creating a Culture of Play and Experiential Growth
For organizations, the benefits of incorporating play into work go beyond engagement—they transform culture. Teams that laugh, experiment, and share meaningful experiences together perform better and communicate more openly.
To cultivate this:
Encourage creative problem-solving and experimentation
Celebrate effort and learning, not just results
Host experiential workshops or outdoor team challenges
Integrate moments of levity and reflection into meetings
A playful workplace culture builds trust, reduces burnout, and fuels innovation. When people feel safe to express themselves, they bring their best ideas forward.
Living With Intention and Joy
Incorporating play and experiences into your everyday life is about choosing aliveness over autopilot. It’s about remembering that joy, curiosity, and creativity aren’t indulgences. They’re necessities for sustainable growth and fulfillment.
Ask yourself:
Where am I taking life too seriously?
What experiences could stretch me and bring me joy?
How can I infuse my work and relationships with more playfulness today?
Every day offers an invitation to experience life more deeply—to live as if it’s an adventure, not a checklist.
Final Thought
Play is not the opposite of productivity; it’s the engine behind it. It fuels creativity, emotional intelligence, and leadership capacity, and it reminds us that growth and joy can coexist.
When you bring play and experiential living into your daily routine, you don’t just become happier, you become more grounded, resilient, and effective in everything you do.
Because the secret to accelerating success is simple:
Don’t just work harder. Live lighter. Play more.
P.S. Looking for other ways to learn experiential living and bring your work and personal life to new heights? Check out my upcoming Ignite Your Power Retreat!