Wanna play?: A workshop on using play as a response to burnout

Play is an under-utilized tool in the workplace, despite being scientifically proven to be essential to our well-being and growth. We often undermine play as something that is 'just for kids' or 'not serious' or 'without purpose' - but that could not be farther from the truth.

Teams are hungry to work in playful and fun environments as a form of connection, creativity and burnout management. However, after teaching dozens of workshops on how to foster play in the workplace, employees consistently express not being sure what the boundaries of play are, and if there would be repercussions for playing in the workplace.

Play in the workplace has often been interpreted as foosball tables and happy hours, rather than part of the cultural foundation of an organization. Teams need to practice playing with each other to get over the hump of discomfort and reimagine new ways of connecting and collaborating on the day-to-day - transforming play as the new professional and viewing play as productive.

In this workshop, teams will be invited into a series of extroverted AND introverted playful activities and challenges that will flex their play muscle and experience new ways of connecting. After the workshop, we will make space to reflect on how the experience felt, and brainstorm how teams might bring more playful energy and ways of collaborating into their daily work life.

Here is a high-level overview of a 75-90-minute session:

Part 1: Welcome + Introductions
Part 2: Acknowledging the elephant in the room
Part 3: Warm-up + Play Practice
Part 4: Reflections
Part 5: Play Principles
Part 6: Summary + Closing

Please note: This session works great for corporate retreats and conferences and can be customized to fit specific themes.