Making Room for Play in a Busy Adult Life
How rediscovering a simple joy can help you reconnect with yourself.
When your days revolve around work, caring for others, and keeping everything moving, play can become something you remember rather than something you make room for.
You may want more joy in everyday life without knowing what that would look like or how to fit it in. Noticing what you enjoy can give you a place to begin. For me, it started with a beach cruiser on vacation.
A Bike Ride That Felt Like Recess
On a trip to the Rosemary Beach, Florida, area, beach cruisers were everywhere. Our rental house came with one for each guest.
I was intrigued. I was also nervous.
As an amputee, I wasn’t sure I could ride one. Would I be able to balance? Could I hurt myself trying?
On the second-to-last day of the trip, I decided to give it a try. We rode into a nearby town to do some shopping. I was a little wobbly at first, but I quickly got the hang of it.
The breeze in my hair, the freedom of getting around, and riding alongside friends brought back a feeling I hadn’t expected.
I felt like a kid again.
Somewhere along that ride, I started thinking: maybe I could have this at home, too.
I had wanted to spend more time outside. A bike would let me explore farther than I comfortably could on foot. There was one Nebraska-sized consideration: hills.
An e-bike felt like a possibility worth exploring. A little extra power could help me tackle the hills while enjoying the movement, sunshine, and fresh air.
I started looking at used bikes and found the perfect fit—a mix of beach cruiser comfort and mountain bike capability.
Now, in the middle of an ordinary workday, I catch myself looking forward to my next ride. My new e-bike has me thinking about recess.
What I Learned About Making Room for Play
I wanted a way to get outside more. I also rediscovered how good it feels to play.
Finding movement that works for me as an amputee sometimes takes creativity. This experience reminded me to stay curious about what’s possible and look for ways to make an activity work for my life.
It also gave me something simple to notice: I was looking forward to doing something because I enjoyed it.
That feeling can be easy to overlook when so much of our attention goes toward what needs to get done. Paying attention to it helped me recognize something I wanted more of in my everyday life.
Sometimes coming home to yourself looks like wind in your hair and a bike ride around the neighborhood.
When Enjoyment Keeps Getting Postponed
You may recognize this in an activity you keep meaning to return to, an interest you dismiss as impractical, or a moment of enjoyment you save for vacation.
If you are used to being dependable and productive, making room for play may feel unfamiliar. You might catch yourself waiting until everything is finished or trying to justify an activity by what it accomplishes.
Those thoughts can offer a useful place for reflection. What do you believe you need to finish, prove, or earn before you can enjoy yourself?
Your time, energy, and circumstances matter. An activity may need to be shorter, closer to home, or adapted to your body and abilities. Getting curious about those possibilities can help you find a way to begin that fits your life today.
A Small Practice for Reconnecting With Play
Choose one enjoyable activity to explore this week:
Notice what draws you in. Think of something you enjoyed as a child, on vacation, or in an ordinary moment. Name what you liked about the experience.
Listen for the hesitation. Notice whether you need information, support, or an adaptation—or whether you are waiting for permission to enjoy yourself.
Find a version that fits. Choose a small way to explore the activity within your current time, energy, abilities, and circumstances.
Reflect afterward. Ask what you enjoyed and whether you would like to make room for it again. Let that experience inform your next choice.
Reflection Questions
What brings out the kid in you?
What do you enjoy that you keep postponing until everything else is done?
What beliefs surface when you consider making time for play?
What small change or adaptation could make an enjoyable activity more accessible to you?
For a deeper look at your relationship with yourself, take the Free Roots Assessment to explore where you feel grounded and where you’d like to grow.
Related Reading
If you find yourself waiting for someone else to validate what you enjoy, read How We Learn to Question Our Own Joyfor another perspective on listening to your own experience.
Make Room for What Matters to You
Through Roots of Authenticity™, we explore the beliefs shaping your choices and reconnect with what matters to you. Authentic Awareness helps you notice your needs, interests, and familiar patterns. Purposeful Alignment supports choices that make room for those discoveries in your everyday life.
If you would like support reconnecting with yourself and creating a life that includes more of what matters to you, begin with a brief coaching application. We can explore whether working together feels like the right next step.
