Rituals, Purpose of Play, and Pre-sleep Gaming

Happy Wednesday!

🏀 In this week’s edition, we’re going to talk about:

• What makes rituals special

• The role of play in our lives

• How to use games to fall asleep

If you have a topic or question in mind about the theme of play, just reply to this email!

Rituals and routines are often interchanged but there’s a key difference between the two:

• Routines are patterns of actions/habits one after another to achieve a desired outcome

• Rituals include actions that might seem weird/not entirely tied to the outcome

When a basketball player does a free throw, part of the routine is dribbling the ball before taking the shot. Spinning the ball, kissing your wrist, using one hand instead of two - these are rituals they believe help them succeed.

While there is no direct relationship between rituals and success, there are other benefits to it such as:

• Reducing anxiety

• Providing a sense of control

• Creating an emotional connection

Rituals are about being intentional, enjoying the process, and establishing ownership by having your own rules. You can also share a ritual with another person by sharing why you’re doing it together.

Date nights, bedtime, and team check-ins can be made into rituals. It's framing the pattern of activities into something meaningful. Framing it that way can help you savor and enjoy what could be a mundane and rote activity.

Jen, one of your fellow subscribers, asked: “What is the role of play in the grand scheme of things?”

Play has been proven to be beneficial for children and adults alike. But there is a gap between knowing and doing. We still feel guilty about spending our time playing, or when something feels like play.

Play is often considered the opposite of work. IT’S NOT. We are not robots that can be productive all the time. When we play, we discover what lights us up and makes us feel like children again - curious and hopeful about the world around us.

So here’s my short answer: A life without play feels like using only white crayons on a coloring book - pointless. 😁

Games as a sleeping aid

Let’s be real - even if we know that keeping our phones beside our bed is harmful, we still do it.

So if you can’t ditch your phone, why not make a pre-sleep ritual of playing a game that can make you drowsy?

Tim Ferris calls this visual overwriting and the premise is:

• Keep your phone brightness low

• Choose a game that will make you feel drowsy within 10 minutes

For me, it’s answering Sudoku or a crossword puzzle.

A meme for you

‘til next week!

Bituin 💫