As a part of their daily routine, young children take naps, have play time during the school day and are distanced from certain situations to help them settle down. Can the same benefits, a child receives by recess, naps, and time out be reaped by grownups facing the challenges of daily life in the 21st century? Yes! Our ability to stay productive, and recognize our need to retreat from certain situations will improve our focus and energy while reducing anxiety. Recess
Just because we’re a little older doesn’t mean we don’t need an outlet to reduce pressure. Play allows us to expand our imaginations. Too often we get so caught up in, “I have to get it done…I have no time…” We hold ourselves captive and in doing so lose our creative imaginations. As our obligations build, our need for an escape, even five minutes, grows.
• Keep your recess short – between 5-15 minutes.
• Schedule time to shoot the breeze with a friend at work you tend to talk to when you need to be working.
• Bring a deck of cards, board games, crossword puzzles to work and find someone who will play with your or play by yourself.
• Find an outside activity that you enjoy; put a baseball glove, putter, tennis racket and ball, kite, model sports care, etc. in your car and find a good place for your recreational activity.
• Take a walk.