When was the last time you played? I mean really played. Not in an organized game or on a computer screen or with a drink in your hand, but break-loose kind of play -- spontaneous, imaginative, unrestrained. Enjoying the freedom you felt as a kid, when nothing seemed impossible and make-believe made dreams come true.

If you've lost this sense of play in your life, maybe it's time to recapture it. Maybe it's time to give yourself over to your play instead of to your work or your relatives or to whatever has a hold on you.

But how is this possible in our deadline-driven, high-performance culture? Who's got time to play? And honestly, how is it possible to play as an adult in a free-form kind of way? It's not what grown-ups do. You'll look foolish. You'll feel stupid.

Risk Looking Foolish

In a class I teach, called Writing Your Own Permission Slip, I always give the assignment to make up a new way to play and write about it. The responses to this assignment are fascinating. Some people cringe at first. They don't know how to play. Their imagination is under lock and key. They think they'll ?look foolish? or ?feel stupid.? Yet every student has come up with something new that felt like fun and provided a sense of genuine pleasure. One woman did something as basic and silly as spending time getting acquainted with her toes, exploring them much the way a baby does ? like something brand new. She truly delighted in this simple experiment. Another woman created a treasure hunt as a birthday gift for a friend. She hide a series of clue messages in a large public sculpture garden, duct-taping each of them underneath or inside the huge structures. Both she and her friend laughed heartily at this comic adventure.

I also like to experiment with new ways to play, For years, I had wanted to roll down a hill like I had done so often as a child. I wanted to experience again the thrill of hurtling over and over ? out of control. The idea seemed like a fun fantasy until one day I spotted the ?perfect? hill inviting me to fulfill this dream. I walked around it for a long time and kept looking to see if anyone was watching (I might look foolish!). Finally I let myself have the fun I had been wanting to have. I lay down and pushed off. When I reached the bottom of the hill, I felt a little sore and a little dizzy, but I had a big grin on my face. At 55, I had quit letting ?looking foolish? stop me and felt the freedom of rolling down the hill with abandon.

That's the secret ?playing with abandon. Creating with abandon. Letting make-believe and a sense of adventure lead the way.

After my hill-rolling, I came home with lots of energy and a fresh sense of excitement about tackling my to-do list. In fact, I now felt as if I could just play my way through the rest of the day.

Three Ways to Play

Do you play your way through your day? If not, why not begin now? Here are three ways to get started:

1) Create the intention to have fun.

A man I once interviewed told me that most people aren't happy because they don't intend to be. There's something to that. Your day is more likely to be fun if you plan for it to be. Even if you're not thrilled with what's on your agenda, decide to have as much fun with it as possible. Find a way to see it a humorous light. Sing a silly song while you do it. Look at it upside down. A child can have fun with almost anything. So can you.

2) Take play breaks during the day.

Stop for a moment between meetings and toss a (soft) ball against the wall a few times. Dance around your office or living room. Do anything (without jeopardizing your job or relationship) that allows you to ?let loose.? You'll feel more relaxed and refreshed when returning to your ?duties.?

3) Smile.

Sounds simple enough. But stress can make us all become scowlers in a hurry. We forget to turn up the corners of our mouths. Even a forced smile, when done with a sense of humor, can help lighten your mood. If you're feeling too stressed to smile, you could try doing some exaggerated frowning for a good long while until you tire of it and eventually find a smile emerging. Sometimes we need to give our difficult emotions room to play (pun intended) before we can lighten up.

Want to play more? Go ahead. You'll have a much more enjoyable day. And guess what? You'll also have a more productive one ? and probably be more fun to be around.