Part 3 · Exercise 1 — The importance of play

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY We tend to dismiss play as something essentially ¹CHILD , a frivolous activity to be set aside the moment we reach adulthood. Yet a growing body of research points to its lasting ²SIGNIFY for grown-ups too. Play, it turns out, is not the opposite of work but a vital source of ³CREATE . When we play, we experiment freely, without the ⁴ANXIOUS that so often holds us back. This ⁵WILLING to take risks is precisely what drives innovation forward. Sadly, many adults feel almost ⁶GUILT about devoting time to activities with no obvious purpose. Such an attitude, psychologists argue, is deeply ⁷HELP , since regular play has been shown to lower stress and sharpen the mind. Far from being a waste of time, then, play may be one of the most ⁸PRODUCT things we ever do.