Having Fun Series - 4 of 4 Editions
By the time we reach adulthood, most of us are managing stress from the top down. We think about it. We analyse it. We try to reason our way back into balance.
But the nervous system does not regulate through understanding alone. It regulates through experience. This is where play becomes more than a nice idea. It becomes biological.
Engaging in fun and play directly changes what is happening inside the body. Not symbolically, chemically. When we play, the brain releases neurotransmitters that support regulation, resilience, and emotional balance.
Dopamine is one of them. Often simplified as a 'pleasure chemical,' dopamine is more accurately about motivation and engagement. When something feels enjoyable, dopamine encourages us to stay involved. This is why playful activities naturally hold our attention without effort.
Endorphins are released as well. These are the body's natural pain relivers. They soften physical tension, lift mood, and create that light, open feeling that lingers after laughter or movement.
Serotonin plays a quieter role. It supports emotional stability, sleep, and appetite, the background systems that keep us steady. When 'fun' is absent for long periods, these systems often wobble.
And then there is oxytocin. This one shows up most clearly through shared play, laughter with a friend, relaxed conversation, playful connection. Oxytocin supports trust and safety. It tells the nervous system, you are not alone here.
Together, these shifts do something important: the reduce cortisol.
Cortisol is not bad, it is protective. But when it stays elevated, the body remains in alert mode. Play helps turn that volume down. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the 'rest and digest' state, not by forcing relaxation, but by creating a sense of safety while still being engaged.
This is a key point - Play blends activation with safety.
That combination is what builds resilience. The nervous system learns that it can be stimulated without being overwhelmed. Over time, this increases flexibility, the ability to move between effort and ease without getting stuck in either.
There is also a longer-term effect happening in the brain.
Play supports neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to form new connections. It increases levels of BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor), often described as fertiliser for the brain. This supports learning, creativity, memory, and adaptability at every age.
This is why play sharpens thinking rather than dulls it. Why people often feel clearer after playful engagement, not foggier.
Play is not something we outgrow. It is something we are meant to keep returning to, in forms that meet us where we are.
It does not need to look impressive to work. Small, simple moments can have the same regulatory effect as larger ones. What matters is larger ones. What matters is that the experience is voluntary, engaging, and internally satisfying.
When fun is integrated, it no longer needs to stand out. It becomes subtle, steady, and present — not excitement, not escape, just ease living quietly alongside daily life.