The Play Prescription: How to Use the HUMAN™ Framework to Rebuild Connection

The Problem

Disconnection Is the Hidden Cost Behind Depression, Anxiety, and Burnout

Traditional talk-based approaches are powerful — but they don’t always move people into real-life connection. Many clients know they’re isolating but feel powerless to change it.

• How do adults make new friends?

• Where do they go to belong if they don’t already have a community?

• How can they practice vulnerability in safe, approachable ways?

In the absence of real belonging, people turn to online connections — scrolling, gaming, or social media groups. These may provide temporary distraction, but they rarely deliver the depth of community or fulfillment people actually need.

The result? Clients feel lonelier, less motivated, and more disconnected than ever — even when they’re “connected” online. Words alone can’t give them a place to belong.

The Solution

Bring Humanity Back Into the Room (and Off the Screen)

The HUMAN™ Framework — Heard, Uplifted, Meaning, Autonomy, Nurtured — gives us the principles of connection. But clients need a context where they can actually live them out.

Online groups and social media can simulate connection, but they don’t replace the feeling of showing up in person, being seen, and belonging to a community. Clients don’t just need likes — they need laughter, shared experiences, and consistent spaces where they matter.

That’s where cornhole competitions come in.

• Low barrier: Anyone can play — no athletic background required.

• Built-in community: Weekly leagues create a consistent, welcoming environment offline.

• Safe social interaction: The game provides a natural focus, so clients don’t feel the pressure of forced conversations.

• Growth & competence: Players can measure progress, which boosts self-worth and motivation.

• Healthy competition: Creates energy, confidence, and resilience in a positive outlet.

According to Self-Determination Theory, humans thrive when they experience autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Weekly cornhole events naturally provide all three — making them a powerful, low-cost, ready-to-use pathway out of isolation and into genuine belonging.

About Michelle Thompson

Michelle Thompson, PhD(c), is a commentator with the American Cornhole League and founder of the HUMAN Workplace™ Framework. With over 15 years of coaching experience, she helps therapists, coaches, and organizations solve one of the greatest hidden costs of our time: disconnection. Her doctoral research examines social connectedness, and her HUMAN™ Framework translates that science into practical, approachable rituals anyone can use.