The Power of Play - Finding the Sweet Spot - Jessie Brodmerkel

Episode 2 of Finding Your Sweet Spot Series The Power of Play (Yes Even for Athletes) The best athletes aren’t just disciplined-they know how to play. Focus: Application Core Idea: Play is not a distraction from performance it fuels it. What is play? The Oxford dictionary says: engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. The National Institute for Play defines play not as an activity, but as a state of mind. Play is essential for a fulfilling life because it fosters joy, creativity, stress reduction, and social connection, acting as a "carefree" form of ikigai. Within the ikigai framework, play enables intrinsic motivation, allowing individuals to engage in activities for the sheer pleasure of it, leading to self-actualization and vibrant, meaningful daily life, often termed asobigai. Talking Points: How play improves creativity, resilience and performance – Importance of Play in Life Mental & Physical Well-being: Play reduces stress and increases life satisfaction by allowing for spontaneity and relaxation. Creativity & Learning: It enhances curiosity and cognitive development, helping teens and adults "re-wire" their brains for better problem-solving. Social Connection: It strengthens relationships and fosters empathy, which is crucial for emotional health. Flow State: Play encourages immersion in the present moment, similar to the "flow" described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (muh·haylee chik·sent·mee·hai·ee), where one loses track of time and experiences peak enjoyment. Peter Gray https://substack.com/@petergray a Boston Colleague Research Professor who specializes in the nature and value of play says that play has four characteristics https://petergray.substack.com/p/2-what-exactly-is-this-thing-we-call Play is self-chosen and self-directed- it is always voluntary. Play is intrinsically motivated (internal not external) means are more valued than the ends. Play is activity that, from the conscious perspective of the player, is done for its own sake more than for some reward outside of itself. When people are notplaying, what they value most are the results of their actions. Play is guided by mental rules: Play is freely chosen activity, but not freeform activity, not random. Play always has structure, and that structure derives from rules in the player’s mind. If it is social it allows the opportunity for players to abide by socially agreed upon rules - an ability that is essential to life in any human society. Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (vai·gaatskee) (1933/1978) emphasized most strongly in an essay about the roles of play in children’s development. He argued that play is the primary means by which children learn this concept. Play is aways creative and imaginative: The rules of play provide boundaries within which the actions must occur, but they do not precisely dictate the actions. The rules always leave plenty of room for creativity. It is the primary means by which all of us exercise our capacity for creativity. Most play is not only creative, but also imaginative.    Why structured athletes lose their spark When every session is evaluated, timed, or corrected, athletes stop exploring and the brain shifts from curiosity to self-protection, which quietly kills the “spark.” Tying play back to Ikigai (what you love) Asobigai (Value of Play): Play is part of ikigai-kan (the feeling of having a purpose). As a "carefree" ikigai, it provides a simple, accessible way to find joy and vibrancy in life. Intrinsic Motivation: Play aligns with doing what you love (the "Passion" intersection of ikigai), where the process itself brings satisfaction rather than the end result. Lifelong Growth: It is a transformative process, allowing individuals to recreate themselves through "playful" exploration of hobbies and leisure. "Flow" and Immersion: Play allows for deep engagement, or chanto suru, doing something thoroughly and finding meaning in the process, which is essential to the Japanese perspective of ikigai.   Play, through the lens of ikigai, is often described as something carefree not something that feels burdensome. Nicholas Kemp (Ikigai Tribe; A Year of Ikigai) frames play as an essential part of a meaningful life, not an optional extra. The National Institute for Play also argues that incorporating play into your day is not only possible, but necessary for wellbeing and they define play not as an activity, but as a state of mind. Ask someone to define play, and most will name an activity playing basketball, playing catch, or even gin rummy. But play isn’t actually an activity. It’s an experience that feels pleasurable a state of being. Dr. Stuart Brown says that when you’re truly playing, you’re in a state of play. And because we’re each unique individuals, the experiences and activities that put us in a play state will look different for each of us. As evolutionary psychologist Peter Gray writes in Free to Learn: Two people could engage in the same activity say throwing a ball or building something yet one might be playing while the other is not. To distinguish between them, we have to observe their expressions and behaviors in other words, their state of being. Play is engaging, we don’t lose interest when we are in a state of play in fact it is usually a place where we find flow or lose track of time. Source: National Institute for Play, What Is Play, Anyway?  (nifplay.org), Nicholas Kemp Ikigai Tribe;” A Year of Ikigai”, Peter Gray - in “Free to Learn” Play - freely choose and enjoy, for its own sake. I heard someone talk about life’s journey like dancing which could be considered a form of play to some people but not to others. If you enjoy dancing, then you are not dancing to reach the end of the song or a final destination- you are dancing for the pure joy of the act itself. It can be a very carefree experience.   Action Step: Add one No-pressure play session this week.