MANY WAYS TO LAYER PLAY INTO THE WORKDAY
Here’s what is on my mind – a little four-letter word, TIME, which will lead us to another four-letter word, PLAY. Time is a valuable yet fixed resource. We each get just 24 hours, 7 days a week, yet people have vastly different experiences of time. You see, what’s tricky about time (okay, life in general) is that there’s not just one way of doing things and not everyone is experiencing life the exact same way at the exact same time.
In exploring leisure time, it seems that most researchers agree that Americans average about 4.5 to 5 hours of free time per day. What makes this a little tough to unpack is the definition of free time. Is free time really free? Or is that when everything (that’s not job-related) gets squeezed into a window of time? As an example, you may have an employee who is using this free time to serve as caregiver for an aging parent. While not everyone is navigating a major life event simultaneously, some people are. Others may find themselves in a different routine, overconsuming food or media content (i.e. an addiction to screen time or something else).
What's most alarming is that just about half of Americans are achieving the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity weekly – meaning just as many people are barely moving. Meanwhile, accumulating 30 minutes a day of social media is a piece of cake. I’m not implying that it’s necessary to have an active, go-go-go mentality 100% of the time as that can create new issues (overuse, injury, burnout). Relaxation has a purpose in life, as does exercise. These two lifestyle practices go hand-in-hand.
I share all of this to set the scene that the people in your organization might need or benefit from a little more play (or leisure) in their day. I think we can align on this as it serves several purposes. Layering more play into the day:
Provides a therapeutic benefit (or respite) for those navigating a life event.
May serve as motivation to get moving for those who are struggling to get or stay active.
Can build camaraderie, lifting mood, morale and spirits within and across departments.
Demonstrates a commitment to prioritizing employee health and happiness AT WORK.
Allows people to destress and recharge – physically, mentally/emotionally and socially.
With this, I offer up four categories of ways to layer more play into the workday:
Invite people outdoors as much as possible. If your workplace doesn’t have green space, what might be done to change that? Getting people outdoors can lead to playing frisbee, shooting hoops, enjoying a walking path or experiencing a moment of mindfulness.
Encourage peer or professionally facilitated Meet Ups. Employees can meet up to try a new workout, discuss a new book, explore a special interest (gardening, baking, sand volleyball) … the list goes on and on.
Host Pop Up events (in person or virtually) to surprise and delight your teams. This can look like a midday recess (thinking hula hoops, kickball, etc.) or a Spirit Week with playful daily themes. As an alternative, run a campaign encouraging certain playful activities throughout the day – allowing employees to engage in their own time. Yard games, dance parties, pool or table tennis are great places to start.
Gift employees additional free time as an employee benefit. Many workplaces adopt policies around summer hours to respect and encourage more play in the summer months. If this doesn’t work for the structure or demands of your business, what CAN you offer to ease the demands of the workday?
Together, I believe we can make the workday fun, playful and enjoyable for all involved. A commitment to more play in the day may take some time and energy. To begin, I would encourage you to create a short-term plan (what is easy to execute now?), while mapping the bigger vision which may involve bigger conversations and policy shifts. Still feeling stuck? We’re just an email away!
Author: Katy Tombaugh
Source: RAND Corporation