It's all fun and games until...

Play is a complex topic. Researchers are continually arguing if play has any actual benefits to it, or if it is something that our psyche just craves. Some research says that play helps develop our brains and others see play as a waste of time. Both are valid in their reasoning, but the latter is much less appealing. Playing is fun, it is something we crave, and love, and truly can learn from. It develops our minds and bodies and helps us learn right from wrong. The argument that play is, in fact, a waste of time seems very western. Fueled by the idea that if we are not making money or contributing to society by a western standard we are useless slackers. Play is a form of self-care, but work is also very important. The argument that one is more important than the other seems arbitrary. The only problem with play is the idea that we can not benefit from it. If we have this idea that play is not beneficial at all we as people are limiting ourselves to a goldmine of possibilities. I am not saying that play is more important that work, I am simply stating that it is best to balance the two. And also to keep in mind that someone's balance may be different from yours. It is all fun and games until you decide that work is more important than your mental well being. My argument is that play becomes a childish word when we grow older and it doesn't have to be.