Why You Should Make Time For Games

I hear so many people during this difficult time struggling with how to work from home, make ends meet, and keep sane while staying positive. There has been a range of difficulties and issues for all of us to overcome as we navigate through this other universe filled to the brim with anxiety and stress. However, you don’t have to stay feeling stuck in these downward slumps. You just have to allow yourself to have time to play games.

I distinctly remembered playing the “floor is lava” game with my sister when we were kids. In a matter of moments, we were transported into a deep part of the Amazonian forest where the danger of the unknown wilderness kept us explorers on our toes. We would pretend the spotless beige carpet that my parents magically kept clean with two energetic kids was the inaccurate depiction of quicksand for hours before we even turned on the TV.

We stood on top of pieces of toys and furniture, moving from object to object on our countless adventures. To the nightmare of my parents, I took the floor is lava game to the extreme. I was constantly doing the most random things while putting myself in the most unnecessarily dangerous situations. I have to apologize to my parents because I was a silent terror. However, that type of creativity that drove me to start bouldering my kitchen cabinets and counters has kept this introvert occupied during quarantine and helped me jump start some projects that are kind of cool.

I’ve been getting back to that random and seemingly disastrous part of me that comes up with the more interesting ideas. The only concern after jumpstarting that creative idea factory is wrangling that crazy energy in and directing the focus onto things that need to get done first. When you schedule and allow time for games and play, you get those creative vibes going. It helps you problem solve, craft new solutions, and when channeled correctly, you can bring forth some amazing things.

Every night, after a day of working from home, I jump on some form of video conferencing or phone call and either talk, have game nights, virtual parties, remote classes, book clubs, and dozens of other fun and interesting things to do. Boredom has no meaning to me, and sticking with that mindset by leaving time for play has kept my thoughts more positive than not, and has helped me complete all sorts of tasks. Slightly organized creativity can be a powerful tool for getting things done. You just have to find that balance between work ad play and responsibly embrace it.