Play and productivity

Flow is fun is flow is...

The fun factor, and how to use it

Focus, fun and foolery

Better problem-solving, productivity, creativity *and* better wellbeing. Enhanced resilience, memory, immune function, general health, relationships *and* work-life.

And all for the price of a little giggle now and then... intrigued? You should be...

...

When Renowned Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky began to note the relationship between play and creativity in the early 1900s he was [among the first](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10400419209534424) to do so, citing play as the primary way to promote ‘**cognitive, social, and emotional development in children’.**

However, it’s play theorists like game designer and author Jane McGonigal and psychologist Samuel West who’ve more recently opened the door of discovery into how play in adults can serve to enhance the creative capacities of the brain, specifically in the workplace. 

Everything from doodling, to games, to listening to or watching a comedy sketch directly before a work task - all have been shown to render powerful effects, often doubling the creative output of subjects, with one paper stating the

> ‘[evidence](https://academic.oup.com/applij/article-abstract/28/4/518/204277) that humour not only contributes to the construction of effective workplace relationships but also... intellectual activity directly relevant to the achievement of workplace objectives.’
> 

In other words, becoming more intentional about fun and humour in both  professional and personal contexts is a scientifically proven way to get more done, both individually and collaboratively.

Fun works. So why aren’t we having more of it?

Children apparently laugh up to 300 times a day. The average adult, a measly 15 times a day. 

Which, I guess, makes sense. As we mature our humour grows in sophistication as the brain centres become more complex.

Which means in order to top up our laughter count and get the best from ourselves we need to become a little more intentional about leaning into play - especially at work.

But how exactly do we do this?

What steps can we take to begin integrating a little more play into our working day?

Play and productivity

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