Does it surprise you to learn that the opposite of play isn’t work?
According to Psychology Today, “Work and play can be more similar than we think. We can—and many do—work playfully. And so we can—and do—often play in ways as structured and as serious as we work.
According to pioneer play researcher Brian Sutton-Smith, the opposite of play is depression.” This is why being intentional about playfulness at work increases satisfaction and purpose.
Research links play at work with less fatigue, boredom, stress, and burnout. Play is further positively associated with a sense of competence, and creativity. When employees get a task that is presented playfully, they are more involved and spend more time on it.
Are you helping your employees stay in touch with their playfulness? What does play look like for your team?
Whether it’s individually or in a team, play has to be central to any employee well-being strategy. Here are two ways you can incorporate play to encourage a thriving team environment:
Take a 10-15 minute healthy break.It’s no secret that our favourite practice at work is through doodling.
- Kick off your meeting with a 10-15 minute doodle break. Have colourful writing instruments, paper and some calming music playing and let your team be creative.
- If you are having a 3 hour meeting at the 90 minute mark – pause – stretch and then doodle for 15 minutes. Let your team refresh from the meeting content and build some calm into the next phase of your meeting for greater focus and creativity.
Need help with that Doodle Break? Test drive our 5-day Doodle Breaks Challenge.
It will show you how to integrate doodling as a creative mindfulness tool and give your teams the opportunity to thrive.