As a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), I have long been bought into the idea that engaging in meaningful recreation is extremely beneficial for our health and well-being. When we engage in activities that bring on a state of flow, we transcend our stressful and mundane realities and enter into a world of enjoyment and possibility. From stress reduction and stronger immune systems to deeper social connections and higher reported life satisfaction, meaningful recreation has endless positive impacts on lives.
But the needs of daily life can cause leisure to drop a few places on our priority list. Even those of us who work in the field of recreation struggle to make time for meaningful recreation, leisure, and play. With New Year’s resolutions and goals still fresh in our minds, it is the perfect time to revisit the life-changing power of flow. Let’s bring enjoyable activity time back into the spotlight! In today’s post, we’re going to define recreation, leisure, and play. We will also go over the 5 steps you can take to engage in meaningful recreation today.
What is Meaningful Recreation?
Many terms are thrown around when we are talking about recreation, leisure, and play. So before we talk about how to bring more of it into our lives let’s get clear on what each one means.
Recreation
A recreation activity is a meaningful activity that we consciously decide to engage in during our free time. It is an activity that we find enjoyable and that we also believe to be in alignment with our societal values. Recreation activities can vary widely from art and music activities to sport and extreme outdoor adventures. Ultimately we engage in recreation activities to help achieve restoration. We need a balance in our lives from all of our other work and life obligations.
Leisure
There has been a long-standing debate in the field of leisure services on how to define it because there are three ways we can view it.
- Leisure as time – The time we have remaining after our work (jobs/volunteer/caregiving) and life (eating/chores/sleeping) obligations are completed. With the free time remaining, we are done with everything else we need to do.
- Leisure as activity – Activities that we engage in during our free time away from work and life obligations. We choose to engage in these leisure activities for a variety of reasons. At this point, there is no clear consensus when defining leisure activities.
- Leisure as state of mind – Again, another very subjective definition. Leisure is a state of mind that involves concepts including perceived freedom, intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, and positive effect which can vary greatly from person to person.
Play
Play is a spontaneous, joyful, and inhibited form of engagement. It is often associated with a child-like state, however, adults can choose to play when they engage in an activity in an imaginative, intrinsically motivated, non-serious, and ultimately freely chosen way.
The 5 Steps to Meaningful Recreation
Now that we have a clearer idea of what recreation, leisure, and play are, let’s talk about how to have more meaningful recreation in our lives.
1. Understand your recreation values
Before you can begin the path to meaningful recreation participation, you first must uncover how your values are shaping your beliefs. Do you see the inherent value in engaging in recreation activities? Or do you believe it is time wasted that could have been spent on something more productive like work or life-administrative tasks? Hustle mentality is a cultural norm that has created a lifestyle where it is difficult to prioritize meaningful recreation, but research has proven that we are actually more productive when we take time for restorative activities.
2. Identify your recreation interests
Now that you have seen the benefits that recreation can provide to your well-being, hopefully, you have decided to pursue meaningful engagement in your lives. The next step is to identify what it actually is that you enjoy doing. There are so many options when it comes to how we spend our leisure time. So before we try anything new – let’s set ourselves up for success. Send some time brainstorming about when it is that we would like to pursue. An easy hack is to think back to when you were a kid – what interested/excited you the most?
3. Research recreation opportunities & needs
Now that you have a list of recreation activities that you are interested in pursuing, it is time to do some research. You will need to do some leg-work to find recreation opportunities based on where you live, what your schedule looks like, what your income level is, etc. Then you will need to identify the equipment, supplies, time frame, etc., you need to engage in your chosen activity. Ask yourself what do I need to do this recreation activity successfully?
4. Plan your recreation time
Great – at this point, you have a solid idea of how you will engage in meaningful recreation leisure activities. To ensure you follow through it is important to make a plan. You need to look at your schedule and make time to prioritize meaningful recreation. Life is hectic, and if you’re not careful either prioritize overriding your desire to have enjoyable, flow-inducing activities. Start by looking at your schedule for the next week. Now pick a time that you will spend in a meaningful recreation activity that fits with your lifestyle.
5. Engage in meaningful recreation
This is the fun part! All of your prep work has paid off and it’s time to engage in your meaningful recreation activity of choice. If you are finding it difficult to stay present at the moment? Is your mind continually drifting away towards your to-do list and responsibility? Try practicing some mindfulness during the activity. Remember – time spent in recreation is extremely beneficial and will support you in living a meaningful and enjoyable lifestyle. You got this!
I hope this article was helpful in your journey towards meaningful recreation participation.
I’d love to know in the comments below how you use meaningful recreation in your life.