When Healing Feels Heavy: Remembering the Power of Play

This post was written a few weeks after arriving in Puerto Vallarta. It reflects how I’m redefining my healing journey.

My time in Mazunte was emotionally intense, and instead of feeling lighter, things started to feel like they were getting harder. My life became completely consumed by personal growth: therapy, self-reflection, putting in the work, and planning for the future. 

Even when I was at the beach enjoying the sunset, I was often journaling, reflecting, or reading a self-improvement book. Conversations with friends often revolved around our respective healing journeys.

Healing became all-consuming—a full-time job that followed me everywhere, never giving me a chance to shut off. It was always on my mind, and I rarely gave myself permission to just be.

The healing bubble

Mazunte has been an important part of my healing journey, but this little Pueblo Mágico is also a healing bubble. It’s a place where people come to do deep personal work, and it’s hard not to get completely wrapped up in that energy. 

Therapy also increases your self-awareness and sensitivity. This is a good thing and an important part of the process, but it can also leave you spinning in your own thoughts.

In my first month there, I felt so much enthusiasm as I watched myself change. 

But in my second month, I felt stuck, like I was going backwards. It was disheartening, but also not surprising. I was so focused on healing that it became unsustainable. 

The healing bubble needed to pop.
And it did!

The missing piece: Play

Somewhere along the way, I lost touch with play—those moments of pure joy where I’m fully immersed in the present, not thinking about my progress, my struggles, or what I still need to do in my healing journey.

Trauma and play exist on a spectrum, and I was sitting too far on the trauma side: processing, analyzing, and healing constantly. 

But play is where vitality and meaning are found. 

My therapist recently reminded me of something we discussed in our very first session: “less is more”. Healing doesn’t just happen through hard work, it happens through play and just being. 

And that honestly sounds like a lot more fun than how I was approaching it.

Why play is essential for healing

Play isn’t just about having fun—it’s a powerful tool for healing. It helps:

• Regulate the nervous system – Shifting between deep emotional work and movement, laughter, and connection helps integrate healing
• Rewire the brain – It expands your capacity for joy and pleasure, training your mind to access positive emotions more easily
• Prevent burnout – When healing becomes too rigid and serious, it can leave you exhausted, dysregulated, and stuck in your head
• Deepen relationships – Connecting with people through shared experiences, laughter, and lightness fosters a deeper sense of belonging

In my final weeks in Mazunte I was burnt out. 

I put so much pressure on myself to heal but moving to Puerto Vallarta has been an opportunity to let go of that.

Healing my relationship with myself is still a priority, but I don’t need to rush the process or put strict timelines on my journey. 

I have time and I’m choosing to enjoy the journey more.

Bringing more play into my next chapter

Puerto Vallarta has been a chance for me to reset. To shift from working on myself to living more fully.  And how am I doing this?

Prioritizing rest

Sleep is the foundation of everything. I was severely sleep deprived in Mazunte, which impacted how I showed up in the world. My rustic cottage in Mazunte held so much energy, emotion, and tears, and I was cohabitating with scorpions, giant spiders, and many mosquitos. It didn’t feel like a restful and safe space. 

But Puerto Vallarta has brought fresh energy and my sleep improved drastically from the moment I arrived. 

Setting boundaries around healing

I now balance healing, productivity, and play. This has meant putting up walls around my personal growth work so it doesn’t consume me or spill into other parts of my life.

Redefining healing

Healing doesn’t just happen in therapy sessions or through self-work between sessions. It also happens in moments of pleasure and joy. 

I’m making a conscious effort to embrace more of that.

I’ve created more space for joy by: 

• Pursuing more activities that I genuinely enjoy: yoga classes, nature walks, daily swims, and exploring what the city has to offer
• Volunteering regularly at a local dog shelter to build a sense of purpose and connect with other volunteers
• Moving my body in joyful ways and connecting more with my inner child—one of my yoga teachers incorporates this beautifully into our classes
• Prioritizing social interactions that aren’t centered around healing and growth
• Leaving more room for spontaneity

The shift I needed

The intense healing path I was on in Mazunte, though incredibly powerful, was no longer serving me. Now, in Puerto Vallarta, I’m building a new path filled with more joy, presence, and play.

Because healing doesn’t always mean doing more.

Sometimes it means doing less and enjoying the journey!

What role does play have in your own healing journey?