5 benefits of play in the workplace ▶️
The Monster Energy Team at Scotiabank Arena hosted by Ari Issac (center) of QE Trivia
It's time to add some playfulness to your life! You might think that playing is just for kids, but guess what? Adults can also benefit from it! Yes, you read it right, my friend. Playing can help you relax, learn, and feel motivated in your daily life. When you play, you enhance your imagination, creativity, problem-solving ability, and you feel good about yourself. It's like taking a break from your mundane routine and enjoying life in the present moment. We call this state of mind "Playfulness." When you're in this state of mind, you forget about your worries and focus on the game, which allows you to learn and be well.
Introducing game elements in your day-to-day business is beneficial not only for you but also for your work. Playing can make you happier, reduce stress, learn more, make faster mental connections, and connect with colleagues in an active way. And let's face it, when you're having fun, you do things with more enthusiasm, which increases productivity and efficiency. Not to mention a decrease in passive aggressive emails from your company “Janet.”
Playing games can also improve brain functioning. When you carry out brain-challenging activities such as playing chess or solving puzzles, you improve your brain's agility, speed, and focus. So, why not pose your work challenges as a game? It'll make your day-to-day tasks more attractive, and you'll have more fun solving problems.
Playing games can stimulate the mind and encourage creativity. This principle applies not only to young children but also to adults. When you pose problems in a game, it stimulates your imagination, making it easier to adapt to new situations and solve problems. Games like trivia, puzzles, riddles and escape rooms are perfect examples of this.
Playing games can also improve interpersonal relationships and connections with others. Sharing games fosters empathy, compassion, confidence, and allows us to get to know others better. Games can help you relax in stressful situations, break the ice with strangers, make new friends, and establish new business relationships.
Playing games can keep you energetic and positive. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." Playing makes us more resilient in all aspects of life, both personal and professional. The challenges us face in the game are a mirror of our shared day-to-day challenges, and it prepares us to face them with more positivity in a low risk setting.
Need more proof that you need to take a break?! More and more companies are adopting this concept and incorporating play into their business to facilitate learning and acquisition of skills and abilities. Companies like Google, Nike, LEGO, Airbnb, and Zappos actively build this into their business practices to keep building and reimagining the ways we do business! There’s absolutely no reason why your business can’t start doing the same, no matter what budget you are rocking. Mic drop.
PS: If you're looking for events dedicated to playfulness, check out my suggestions in 5 Playful Businesses We Love.
