Play...focus on your inner child...

Do you remember the euphoria you experienced at getting a new toy or playing with your friends? Was life ever as uncomplicated as when you were making mud pies in the back yard and experiencing all the joys that the world had to offer your very uncomplicated soul?

This experience should not have been lost as you grew older. Unfortunately, the ego develops, life experiences encroach and your perspective of the world grows increasingly more and more encumbered by these experiences.

You can gain this energy back again by spending time focused on play or in remembering those play experiences.

Things get a little stressed in the staffroom as reporting deadlines approach and a lot of things need to be done on a very tight time line. So, I decided it was time to play. I bought tick-tock biscuits, teddy bear biscuits, hundreds and thousands biscuits (all the foods I loved to get as a child since those types of treats were few and far between). I placed them on the staffroom common room table with a note indicating that teachers could help themselves to the food (no-one likes free food more than teachers) however, the condition was, they had to relate their childhood memories of eating these foods. We spent the entire break laughing our socks of at remembered "silliness" and joy of eating those biscuits. "Focus on the child within" morning tea has now become a feature in our staffroom.

Such a simple thing really lifted the spirits of everyone in the room, just by remembering the joy of uncomplicated childhood memories.

I have two children so it becomes very easy for me to play. I simply join in their games. Not having children is not an impairment though.

A smell, a sight a sound can bring back those memories. The taste of a biscuit (or more importantly, the method of eating the biscuit) is enough to bring a smile to your face and lift your mood.

Remember those play times and allow yourself a few moments of "silliness" a day. It is so restorative.

I have a house full of boys, I have learnt to laugh at toilet humour and fart jokes...smile.

Take any opportunity you can to laugh and play and watch your own mood change and that of the people around you.

Have a glorious day of play

xoxoxoxo