Just five minutes of joy can transform your physical and mental health.
Join Sina McCullough, Ph.D. in nutrition, on her quest to uncover truths about food and health. A scientist by training and journalist by nature, Sina offers facts and insights about how to live healthy, happy, and free.
Recently, I was invited to a girls’ day out with the theme “Play with Intention.” I expected a fun, carefree day with friends, where we’d let loose and reconnect with our playful sides.
However, when I arrived, I discovered the host’s idea of play was helping her tackle projects on her to-do list—organizing closets and cleaning the garage. For her, that was a form of play. It brought her joy.
I realized how personal play can be—what feels playful for one person might feel like work to another. I also realized how easy it is to lose touch with play altogether.
As adults, we often put fun on the back burner, saving it for “when there’s time”—and it could be costing us our health.
What if the key to well-being isn’t another wellness trend but simply rediscovering what brought us joy as children?
Why Don’t We Play More?
Research shows that engaging in playful activities can reduce anxiety, depression, and even more serious mental health conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Play reduces stress and boosts feel-good endorphins. It can lower blood pressure, protect against heart disease and cognitive decline, and increase longevity. It’s like nature’s way of saying, “Go ahead, have fun—it’s good for you!”
Yet, many adults–myself included–struggle to make time for play.
Play is often dismissed as frivolous or unproductive as we grow into adulthood. Society encourages us to “grow up,” pushing us toward responsibilities and measurable achievements—leaving little room for fun.
Between jobs, family, and endless to-do lists, play gets pushed aside. Over time, spontaneity and imagination fade, replaced by rigid routines and task-driven thinking.
This pattern is often modeled by our parents. My parents worked from sunrise to sunset, rarely stopping for fun. Now, as an adult, I’ve fallen into the same trap. When I do take time to play, I feel guilty–like I haven’t earned it.
Our reluctance to embrace play often ties back to a deeper belief that we’re not “worthy” until we’ve achieved enough. But who decides what’s enough?
