The Case for Frolic

I was looking at old photos of snow days today. Now that my kids are older, I find that I miss sledding. It’s that specific New England mix of family connection and having my own experience. It also brings the slight terror of careening down a hill as a breadwinner who really couldn’t afford an injury.

Those afternoons also took me out of whatever work pressure was looming and gave me a chance to be grounded. Literally, and usually flat on my back, looking up at the blue winter sky.

I think of this as “Frolic.”

It’s fun that requires all of you, both physically and mentally. It doesn’t call for special skills or the latest equipment. It’s the ultimate equalizer. A frolicking 12-year-old and a CEO look exactly the same doing it.

Here’s what I see: It is too easy to write this off as “unserious.” But from a strategic standpoint, we have this backward. The lack of experiences like frolic is causing us harm.

When we deprioritize organic, genuine enjoyment, we don’t just “miss out on fun.” We magnify the stress around us. We leave ourselves poorly equipped to manage the challenges and mismatched systems we face daily.

There is a reason why it feels good to laugh. Your biology rewards you for it, releasing endorphins, lowering cortisol, and creating a sense of protection.

Make a pivot toward frolic. If your plan for success has no room for the equivalent of an afternoon on a sledding hill, your plan needs a redesign. That way is not working, and now is the time to try something new.