How Playtime is Critical for Business Success and Personal Happiness
This morning, I blocked a priority event on my calendar that was absolutely non-negotiable, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long, long time.
Brainstorming? Nope.
Team meeting? Nuh-uh.
Content creation? No (but that IS coming soon, stay tuned).
I attended Track & Field Day at my sons’ elementary school.
I literally paused before starting to type again because I thoroughly found so much joy in watching them, and their classmates, let loose on an absolutely perfect day.
Now, mind you, this was a whole different world of Track & Field Day from what I remember, but man was it done spectacularly. Everything from obstacle courses, javelin throw, hurdles, sack races, relay races, you name it. And when you scanned the massive field of activities, several things were consistent:
Smiles
Energy
Encouragement
Laughter
Determination
Then it struck me how often we as adults forget to just have fun with whatever we’re doing. Whether it’s work related, life related, or just personal time, we seem to have overloaded schedules of “stuff” and “meetings” that tend to pull our energy and drain us by the end of the day.
When was the last time you blocked intentional time for “fun” or “creativity?”
Now, I know there will be some that will scoff at the idea of fun in the workplace, but let’s review some of the benefits of implementing some sort of fun in your adult life:
Health & Fitness
We could all use a bit of that. Not only will it keep your healthy to be active, but it also releases endorphins which bring about more joy. Not to mention the reduction in stress that you’ll feel and the relaxation to enjoy at the end of the day.
Smiles & Laughs
Not only will fun activities of some sort increase your own personal satisfaction, it has been shown to develop stronger camaraderie and bonding.
Productivity & Creativity
An increase in joy and energy allows you to not fall into a rut of exhaustion and creates higher levels of productivity. Playful activity also provides opportunity for more creativity as even when there’s a structure or rules to an activity, there is room for creative problem solving. Pause for a couple of seconds and think about all the creative dunks, plays, or goals you’ve seen. Every sport has rules around scoring, but never say exactly how it has to happen leading up to it.
I encourage you to revisit your calendar and find time that you can block playful, energetic activity for you and your benefits above. Whether it’s going for a walk, exercising, or planning a team outing on a random Wednesday, these intentional activities will provide immediate benefit to you and your teams.
So, while events like Corporate Challenge or activity outings are fun, they’re also tough to schedule and might be cost prohibitive to do too frequently. So, here are a couple of ways you can incorporate minor creativity and fun into your day:
- Use a variety of colored pens or dry erase markers to write out ideas or plans. Even the color variety brings more joy.
- Have a simple game, toy, or fidget activity on or near your desk for 2-5 minute breaks. I’ve even worked with attorneys who had a small, roll-up putting green in their office to break the monotony.
- Incorporate fun and/or motivating art in your workspace.
- Have a resource for music (headphones please if the space calls for it) to add in a fun jolt of energy. Feel free to borrow any of my playlists/songs from my Spotify channel. As a former touring DJ, it’s my favorite thing to curate playlists. Let me know if you have any requests.
The best part of this all is that since you’ve made it to this point in the article, you’ve already been exercising mindfulness around your energy and health. So, congratulations! You’ve already won and have a new focus on taking better care of yourself, your productivity, and your work culture.
For more information on ways to enhance your life, your team, your company, and your mental health, visit richbracken.com for keynote presentations, videos, blogs, podcasts, and more!
