How do you play as an adult? Journal Prompts
Play Journal Prompts
Refill your emotional cup before another busy week.
With Fill Your Cup prompts the idea is that you can take just one or two prompts and respond to them in a few minutes of down time. Sometimes I sit with my journal while my kids finish up school work at the table, sometimes I write in the morning before they're up, and sometimes just having the question to think about during the day is enough.
Read through and respond to what strikes you, or simply take the journal topic and go in your own direction – this is about what you need.
“The opposite of play isn’t work. It’s depression.”
– Brian Sutton-Smith
In his fascinating TED talk about play, researcher Stuart Brown talks about play as essential to survival, “Play has a biological place, just like sleep and dreams do.”
Play isn't just a childhood rehearsal for later grown up serious endeavors, but a healthy part of our entire life.
One thing that struck me in particular as a parent was when he said, “The basis of human trust is established through play signals.” What a beautiful map! When I look for how to establish and maintain trust between myself and my kids, play is my key.
Journal Prompts About Play
- Describe a memory: Think back to childhood to the most clear joyful, playful memory you have – whether it's with a friend, a toy or playing a game. How did you feel? Can you think of a way that emotion into your life now?
- What people in your life make you feel playful?
- What physical activities feel like play to you? What interests or hobbies feel playful? What makes you grin or captures your attention for no reason other than it is fun for you?
- Come up with a playful, even a completely fanciful solution to a problem you're having in your life right now.
If you'd like to add a playful element to your journaling, you may wish to take a look at some of the art journal prompts I've created here – they're all geared towards parents and kids, so they're fun, just a playful way to try something new in your journal.
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Alissa Zorn is an author, and founder of the website Overthought This. She's a coach and cartoonist passionate about helping people overcome perfectionism and shame to build authentic, joyful lives. Alissa is certified through the International Coach Federation and got her Trauma-Informed Coaching certification from Moving the Human Spirit. She wrote Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection, Not Perfection, and is always following curiosity to find her next creative endeavor.