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Key points
- People are tired and irritable these days, since we no longer have complete access to the things that release endorphins.
- It takes creativity and energy to come up with things to do that bring us joy in the midst of the pandemic.
- Finding play that is consistent with what you loved as a kid can be comforting now.
Just the other day, I received in the mail a Lego catalog. On the cover was the picture of a sophisticated, fancy Lego hotel—a complicated looking creation that did not really seem to be aimed at kids. As a practicing therapist and trained sociologist, I hear and observe patterns and trends. Lego sets that are anything but for children are popular these days. Brilliant, successful, responsible adults have tapped into the joy of rediscovering Legos at a seriously sophisticated level; the same with video games and coloring books. Reflecting on what I’ve heard in terms of trends from my patients and from my therapist colleagues, play is all the rage. I think that the key to sanity during this pandemic period is play, and I would take it one step further in that not just any play but play that is consistent with what you absolutely loved as a kid. Comfort food for the soul in the form of play. And that’s where Legos and all sorts of other toys come in. What you loved then can be comfortingly great now.
Working hours of telehealth a week, I’m asked over and over again, "Why is it that people are so tired and irritable these days?" One reason beyond the obvious, that we’re in a pandemic, is that we no longer have complete access to the things that release endorphins, the body-created chemicals that make us feel happy. Many of the things that we loved to do pre-COVID are limited at best and not as readily available as before. This is the reality of surviving a pandemic—things as they were, are no longer. That includes many things that we could choose to do, that because of the pandemic, have risks and limits. It takes creativity and energy to come up with things to do in the midst of COVID that bring us joy. That’s not so easy when we have a threatening virus and all sorts of changes to navigate.
That’s where toys and play come in. Early on, when lockdown was in effect, it was near impossible to find a puzzle to order online—consistently sold out. The nostalgia of the wonderful parts of childhood play have Lego sets from decades ago commanding serious prices now. Think about the stuff that you really enjoyed as a child and try to imagine if it’s something that is feasible to do now. It’s certainly something worth considering in the hope of releasing endorphins and just plain having some fun during a challenging period in time. Here are some suggestions:
- Consider coloring with crayons
- Think about re-watching a favorite childhood movie
- Reread a childhood book that you really liked, perhaps a classic that you remember reading several times.
- Think about taking up painting or finger painting
- Consider making something out of clay or Play-Doh
Honestly, throughout this pandemic, the thing that kept me entertained was buying throw pillows. Pillows reflecting the season or holiday or soft, comfy pillows for my home and my office. I’m not seeing patients in person, doing telehealth, but my oversized therapy chairs have great pillows on them. In reflecting on why pillows, what came to mind was my childhood play, when friends and I would take the sofa pillows and construct make-believe castles and, my preference, apartments.
What is important to note is that what probably will help get you through these pandemic times is finding something that brought you joy once and just might bring you some much-needed joy again.
