It takes one a long time to become young. - Pablo Picasso

Work and play are the stuff of our lives. Almost all your waking hours are spent doing one or the other. Because these activities are so dynamically connected with self-concept, a sense of meaning and purpose, and, in some cases, your very survival, they are strong determinants of wellness. If there are significant, ongoing problems in either your work life or play, your state of health will usually reflect it. The list of stress-related diseases grows daily. And many of us are employed in highly stressful jobs. Moreover, we can hardly be living life to the fullest if we have no energy with which to play, no inclination for simply fooling around."

As we begin our exploration of playing and working, let us make it clear that the two are not necessarily separate categories of activity. What is play to one may be work to another (compare a sandlot baseball game to a major-league game, for instance). Some people don't consider their jobs as work at all, because they enjoy them so much. And others make a chore out of their recreation.

In any case, rather than changing what you do for work or play, what's important is increased awareness and a change in attitude. Stop long enough to examine the roles that working and playing take in your life. If they do not enhance it, you may want to make some changes.

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