Why We Play: How to Find Joy and Meaning in Everyday Life (Unabridged‪)‬

Discover how to reconnect with the child in you and unlock the transformative power of play to live a more joyful life.

Can you remember the utter delight of playing chase, flying a kite, or getting messy with a box of paints? As children, playing is how we make sense of the world and our place in it. Why then, as adults, do we forget how to play?

Drawing on more than 20 years of neuroscientific research and clinical practice, psychotherapist Joanna Fortune has discovered that play is central to the human experience–and is the key to living a happier, joyful life. With life-changing insights, tips, and exercises, she shares her proven approach, including how to:


Practice small moments of joy to boost positive mood
Embrace wonderment to help unlock creativity and problem-solving
Make play breaks a part of your everyday life to alleviate stress
Use storytelling to heal from trauma and find emotional resilience
Nurture a playful state of mind to improve your health and well-being
Utilize simple techniques to repair and strengthen relationships


This groundbreaking book reveals why you’re never too old for play, explains how it shapes our experiences and relationships with others, and shows how practicing play daily will be the small change that will revolutionize your life.