happiful september 2021

memory lane
Contrary to popular belief,
bringing playfulness to the
workplace isn’t an excuse
for employees to skive off.
It boosts productivity and
can induce a flow state; that
in-the-zone feeling when
you’re concentrating hard on
something you find challenging,
but also creatively stimulating.
A study published in The Tohoku
Journal of Experimental Medicine
found that the simple act of
laughter can mitigate the effects
of stress, strengthen teams,
and build better relationships.
Adults who prioritise play may
be able to find more happiness,
fight off depression, and lower
their risk of dementia.
Now we’re not suggesting you
surprise the team with a bouncy
castle in the office car park, but
we do have some ideas to help tap
into your inner child at work.
1. Ask questions
As an adult, you’re expected to
be the fount of all knowledge
for children. If you’ve ever
witnessed a child descend into
a ‘But, why?’ spiral, then you
know exactly what we’re talking
about. Try stepping out of your
adult role from time to time, and
lean into the fact that you cannot
possibly know everything all of
the time. Explore the idea that
it’s OK to admit you don’t have
all the answers, and instead try
asking questions to figure out a
way forward. Try posing openended
questions, such as: ‘What
seems to be the problem?’, ‘What
else do I need to know about
this?’, and ‘What’s holding you
back from succeeding?’
2. Talk to someone new
Have you ever noticed that
children are experts in making
new friends? They don’t think
twice about inviting newcomers
into their space to talk or play
games. We adults are a different
breed entirely. According to a
Try stepping out
of your adult role
from time to time,
and lean into
the fact that you
cannot possibly
know everything all
of the time
YouGov poll, just a quarter of
older Britons report having made
a friend in the past six months,
and only 18% over the age of 55
have made a new friend in the
past six years. But reaching out
to a colleague could be the ticket
to boosting job satisfaction,
because – according to a study in
Social Psychological and Personality
Science – small talk has been
shown to improve executive
functioning; the area of the brain
related to focus, prioritisation,
and organisation. The next time
you try to avoid that after-work
event, consider what your inner
child would do.
3. Gamify your tasks
Reward charts are common in
academic settings because they
are brilliant motivators to get kids
engaged in learning, but this can
be applied to modern workplaces,
too. Say you’ve got a stack of
boring paperwork to complete.
Why not split it between you and
a colleague, and whoever finishes
last has to buy the other one a
coffee? Alternatively, set yourself
a deadline and reward yourself
with lunch from your favourite
sandwich place. You could even
bring health and wellbeing goals
into work and get others involved,
trying to walk 10,000 steps every
day, or taking short meditation
breaks together.
4. Be curious
As children, we’re endlessly
curious and encouraged to make
mistakes. There isn’t a person
on Earth who learned to speak
without a whole lot of garbling
and gobbledegook beforehand.
No one figured out how to walk
without stumbling and crawling
along the way. Your inner child
chooses curiosity over ego
every time, so try to accept that
failure might occur when you
try new things. That said, having
a curious mind doesn’t have to
involve big scary challenges.
Something as simple as switching
up the time you have lunch will
offer up new experiences, such
as hearing an interesting radio
show or bumping into an old
friend. Take on that new project,
volunteer to do something you’ve
never done before, and embrace
being a beginner.
Fiona Thomas is a freelance writer
and author, whose latest book, ‘Out
of Office’, is available now. Visit
fionalikestoblog.com for more.
happiful.com | September 2021 | 23