Have fun!
When it comes to the science of fun, there’s a quote from Dr. Stuart Brown, a researcher on play, that’s stuck with me:
“The opposite of play isn’t work—it’s depression.”
In a talk he gave, Dr. Brown explained that our play response is primal. It can even interrupt another being’s fight response. He told a remarkable story to illustrate this:
A team of sled dogs in the Arctic was approached by a hungry polar bear. The bear’s body language was unmistakable—predatory gaze, ears back, steady approach. These dogs were in serious danger.
Then something incredible happened.
One of the huskies stepped forward and took a play stance—bowed low, head up, tail wagging. The bear paused, softened, and began to play. Wrestling, tumbling, connecting. The bear was enormous compared to the husky, but that didn’t matter. The invitation to play overrode its instinct to hunt.
We neglect play at our own risk.
Play fosters connection. It sparks creativity. It brings us into a state of flow where we’re fully present, content to be right here, right now—with the people (or bears) we’re with.
When we lose play, we often lose connection, creativity, mindfulness, and gratitude. And what do you call the absence of those things?
That sounds like depression to me.
Unfortunately, play is often viewed as a luxury for adults—something we get to do after the work is done, or only when we’ve burned ourselves out and finally "earned" a break. But I think that’s a mistake.
Play isn’t extra. It’s essential.
We need more fun—not as an escape, but as a way of life. It’s how we connect, recharge, and thrive. Play should be a regular part of human connection, not a rare exception.
So here’s your invitation:
What are you going to do this week to play? To have real, joyful fun?
Happy to be in your corner,
Tom Page, LCPC
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