Using Play to Rewire & Improve Your Brain
Summary
Play is a biologically hardwired behavior that engages specific brain circuits and neurochemicals to expand the brain’s capacity for learning and adaptation throughout the entire lifespan. The neurochemical state of play — characterized by elevated endogenous opioids and low adrenaline — allows the prefrontal cortex to explore new possibilities and roles in a low-stakes environment. This makes play one of the most powerful and underutilized tools for neuroplasticity at any age.
Key Takeaways
- Play is not just for children — the brain circuits dedicated to play persist into adulthood and are biologically preserved because they remain essential.
- The neurochemical recipe for play is high endogenous opioids + low epinephrine (adrenaline), which unlocks the prefrontal cortex’s ability to explore new behaviors and roles.
- Low stakes are non-negotiable — if the outcome matters too much, adrenaline rises and the play state collapses, defeating its neuroplastic benefits.
- Dynamic, multi-directional movement (dance, soccer, sports with jumping/lateral motion) is one of the best physical forms of play for triggering neuroplasticity.
- Games requiring multiple roles (e.g., chess) are superior for brain expansion compared to activities where you always occupy the same role.
- Your play identity from ages 10–14 — how competitive, cooperative, or flexible you were — significantly shapes how you show up in adult relationships and work.
- Increasing playfulness means deliberately entering scenarios where you are not the most proficient person, are unfamiliar with all the rules, and are not focused on winning.
- BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and other growth factors are released during play, physically rewiring brain circuits and driving neuroplasticity.
Detailed Notes
What Is Play, Biologically?
- Play is contingency testing in a low-stakes environment — exploring “if I do A, what happens? If I do B, what happens?”
- It is not limited to sport or childhood; it includes any exploration of roles, rules, and outcomes in a sufficiently safe context.
- Play circuits originate in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a brainstem region rich in neurons that produce endogenous opioids (e.g., enkephalins).
The Neurochemistry of Play
- Endogenous opioid release from the PAG is triggered by low-stakes engagement and produces a relaxed, open mental state.
- This opioid release directly enables the prefrontal cortex to run more “algorithms” — exploring more possible outcomes and roles than it would in a stressed or high-stakes state.
- Low epinephrine (adrenaline) is equally critical. Any scenario that raises adrenaline too high — intense competition, high financial stakes, fear of failure — shuts down the play state.
- During play, BDNF and other growth factors are released inside the brain, physically rewiring circuits and producing lasting neuroplastic changes.
- Key reference: Panksepp & Siviy, “In Search of the Neurobiological Substrates for Social Playfulness in Mammalian Brains,” Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.
Play Postures: Universal Signals
- Dogs and wolves: lower the head to the ground with paws extended forward — the universal canine “play bow.”
- Humans: perform a subtle head tilt with open eyes, often accompanied by slightly raised eyebrows and soft, widened eye openings (“soft eyes”).
- Soft eyes — widening the eyelids — are a hardwired signal of playful or affiliative intent across mammals. Narrowed eyes signal aggression or sadness.
- Partial postures: during rough-and-tumble play, animals approach each other with fur down (not raised/pilo-erection) and humans shrink their body size — signaling that the interaction is not a real threat.
How Play Shapes the Prefrontal Cortex
- The prefrontal cortex normally operates in rigid if-then patterns. Play forces it to expand its operational repertoire.
- Role play is especially powerful: assuming unfamiliar roles (leader vs. follower, partner vs. solo player) forces the prefrontal cortex to make predictions from entirely new standpoints.
- These expansions are not limited to the play context — you have one prefrontal cortex that carries these new capabilities into all areas of life.
- The playful state is actually correlated with better performance, because it enables access to novel behaviors and interactions unavailable under high stress.
Best Forms of Play for Neuroplasticity
Physical play:
- Activities involving dynamic, multi-directional movement — jumping, lateral cuts, ducking, leaping (e.g., soccer, dance).
- These engage the vestibular system (inner ear + cerebellum), which is directly tied to learning-related brain circuits.
- Strictly linear movement (e.g., running in a straight line) is less effective for opening plasticity portals.
Cognitive play:
- Chess is highlighted as an exemplary non-physical play form — players must simultaneously manage multiple pieces, each with distinct rules, effectively inhabiting multiple “identities” in a single game.
- Reference: “Is Chess Just a Game or Is It a Mirror That Reflects a Child’s Inner World?” International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 2017.
- Avoid activities where you always occupy the same avatar or role (e.g., a single fixed video game character).
Personal Play Identity
Four components shape how an individual approaches play:
- How you play (style, strategy)
- Personality
- Sociocultural environment and economics
- Technology
Reflecting on play behavior around ages 10–14 (a peak period for social, motor, and psychosocial development) reveals deeply ingrained patterns that persist into adult relationships, work, and learning styles. Key questions to ask yourself:
- Were you competitive or cooperative (or both)?
- Did you prefer solo, small-group, or large-group play?
- Were you comfortable switching roles or teams mid-game?
- How did you react when others broke the rules?
Practical Protocol: Increasing Playfulness as an Adult
- Enter low-stakes activities where you are not the top performer and do not fully know the rules.
- Shift focus from outcome to exploration — the goal is to learn about yourself and others, not to win.
- Expand into new groups — playing with new people is one of the most powerful ways to drive brain change.
- Try activities with dynamic, multi-angle movement if you want physical play that maximizes neuroplasticity.
- Try games involving multiple roles (e.g., chess, tabletop games) for cognitive plasticity.
- Keep adrenaline low — if you find yourself highly stressed about the outcome, you have exited the play state.
Mentioned Concepts
- neuroplasticity
- periaqueductal gray
- endogenous opioids
- prefrontal cortex
- executive function
- epinephrine
- dopamine
- BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)
- vestibular system
- role play
- play postures
- contingency testing
- psychosocial development