Bogie, my standard poodle, burst into my office with a toy he found on a walk and ran around daring me to chase him – which of course I jumped up and did. For 5 minutes, I chased him and threw his toy until he was done, and so was I. If you have kids or dogs you know how much joy they can bring you in just 5 minutes.
I think what makes it so fun is the spontaneity and the interactivity. Just a few minutes and you are totally refreshed. SO, how do we take this into the work environment? If you go into work, this could be a practice at the start of a meeting. If it is a standard weekly meeting, the game could be initiated by a different participant each time. A dozen koosh balls could do the trick.
Or you could have something on your desk or work station that you can toss around. Obviously, I like to throw balls, but maybe you like to kick them. Or throw paper wads into a trash can. Go with something you like to play. Share the joy.
If you are remote, it is up to you find a couple of things to play. When was the last time you did a sommersault? It needs to be something fun – not just exercise. If you are stuck for something to play, take a walk. Set up a game of finding something different each walk. How many birds can you hear? How many yellow flowers do you see? Can you dance, or skip for 10 steps every block? Of course, you might look ridiculous. That is part of the play.
Once refreshed, you can get back into your work with gusto. Why not make it a great day?
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