Welcome to episode 194 of Live Happy Now.

This is your host, Paula Phelps, thanking you for joining us today.

You know, if you've ever wondered what happened to your playful side, we have a great topic for you today.

Anthony DeBenedadette is author of the book, Playful Intelligence, the Power of Living Lightly in a Serious World.

As a medical doctor and behavioral science enthusiast, Anthony has looked at how living a more playful life can help us counteract some of the seriousness of our day-to-day living.

Live Happy editor Chris Libby talked with Anthony about how playfulness can improve our lives

and how you can find more time for it in your own life.

How are you today, sir?

I'm doing well. Thanks for having me, Chris.

Great. Can you explain what playful intelligence is and what brought you to this idea of playful intelligence?

For sure. I first became interested in the study of play when I was a brand new dad about 10 years

ago and I was desperately trying to figure out how to connect with my daughter, Ava.

And that turned into a book called The Art of Rough Housing, which kind of champions parent, child, physical play.

And then more recently, probably within the past five years, my life started colliding with

what I call Barry's Crossroad, and I'll explain that in one second.

And it's basically a crossroad that I think we all come to at some point in adulthood.

And I describe it as kind of when you find yourself doing everything you can to endure adulthood

while wondering whether you're actually enjoying it.

And I came to Barry's Crossroad again a few years back, and my life was just blurring into this frazzled mosaic of busyness and exhaustion and intensity and seriousness that swirled around, you know, my career, my family life, relationships, everything that kind of comes with adulthood.

And as I look back, I think I was really, in hindsight, on the verge of kind of burnout,

both professional burnout and personal burnout.

I was probably like 70% there.

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