play a game

when was the last time you played something? not scrolled, not binged, not "relaxed" by numbing yourself with content -- actually played. a board game with friends. a video game that challenged you. a card game with stakes low enough to laugh about.

play is not a waste of time

society tells you that once you're an adult, everything should be productive. every hour should generate value, build your career, or optimize your health. and so play -- the thing that taught you everything when you were a kid -- gets filed under "childish" and abandoned.

that's insane. play is how humans learn, bond, and regulate stress. it's not the opposite of work. it's the thing that makes work sustainable.

the anxiety escape valve

your brain needs mode-switching. it needs periods where the stakes are artificial, the consequences don't matter, and the only goal is engagement. that's what games provide. a structured space where you can strategize, compete, collaborate, and fail without real-world damage.

people who never play become rigid. they lose the ability to improvise, to think laterally, to laugh at failure. they become brittle, and brittle people break.

the social glue

games strip away the awkwardness of forced socialization. you don't need conversation topics when you're arguing about who's the imposter, or trash-talking over a poker hand, or collaborating to beat a co-op dungeon. the game provides the structure, and genuine connection happens in the margins.

some of the deepest friendships are forged over game tables. not because the game matters, but because shared play creates shared memories.

your assignment

this week, play something. invite people over for a board game. challenge a friend to chess. pick up a controller. the only rule is that it has to be something with no productive purpose whatsoever.

watch what happens to your stress levels, your creativity, and your mood. play isn't a break from real life. it's a part of it you've been neglecting.

if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.