Never too old to play

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Never too old to play

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Experts say you're never too old to play. Watch the story Watch Video

With the holidays approaching, it may be difficult to escape the responsibilities that come along with the season.

Researchers say we all need to add some play to our schedule – our lives might depend on it.

Adults spend most of their waking hours working.

Stuart Brown, CEO and founder of the National Institute for Play says people don’t do enough fun activities.

"At no time in life should we allow ourselves to give up play, because it allows us to maintain the human spirit," said Brown. "The opposite of play is not work. The opposite of play is depression. Think about a life without play. No humor, no movies, no books, no pub stories, no dirty jokes … it's a different world."

A new study reveals that depression, declining creativity, and lost productivity can result from a lack of play.

“Playing” helps increase neural connections in the brain.

Try taking a break every day, and doing activities like gardening, photography, scrap booking, puzzles, knitting, writing or spending time outside.