Invoke the power of play, you’ll be better for it.

Congratulations! We have all hopefully gotten through the crazies of December and the mind-numbing, number crunching year end tasks of January.

A week or so ago, I found myself somewhat burnt out and in need of a break. Do I push through, do I just stop and take a break? I couldn’t help wondering how the heck does everyone else temper their workload during these unprecedented times. The nurses pulling 14+ hours a day.  The executive that needs to keep motivated so that they in turn can motivate. The teachers (God bless the teachers!) that are constantly finding innovative ways to teach our youth from their kitchen tables.

Are we conditioned to believe that prioritizing play is counterproductive to our work efforts? If we DO prioritize play, why must it immediately result in a sense of guilt? Interesting question.

I went seeking answers. I asked 3 super successful executives, each with super high-pressured jobs, what their thoughts are on play, personal time and the balance of the modern job. Their answers are simple, inspiring and offer takeaways for all of us. Turns out, according to these execs, guilt should have nothing to do with carving out personal playtime. In fact, these folks say, yes work hard, and YES carve out your personal time because you’ll be better for it. Interestingly enough, throughout the interviews each of them admitting that “perfection is NOT required”, even with regard to play and guilt. (Phew!)

Annette Jones, DVM, California State Veterinarian Director Animal Health and Food Safety Services, California Department of Food and Agriculture

It starts with attitude. “One thing I sometimes find frustrating is when other people define “play” for me. I like my job and I like farming, so sometimes hard work is my “play.” I believe the answer is in one’s attitude. Being “present,” appreciating the people around you, smiling and feeling good about what you are doing, to me can be fun. Work is not a bad word to me. Work is not the opposite of play.  BUT, with the right attitude, anything can be more fun.”

Paul Bezy, Global Head of Technical
Development Quality, Roche/Genentech

Manage your energy, not your time.  “For me it’s all about getting outside and breathing deeply. I don’t think it matters what you do, as long as it helps you reset. For me it’s biking. Skiing does it too. And sometimes so does a nice nap. With everything going on in life these days, it’s critical that we find a way to regularly reset. I have an agreement with myself and my boss. I manage my energy not my time. Whenever my energy is not where it needs to be, I take a break and do what I need to reset.”

Nick deRoulhac, Director of Operations, DISC Surgery Center at Newport Beach

Mentally close your office door. “Modern workers are able to carry work pressure and stress with them wherever they go.  If you find yourself constantly checking your work email or tuning into your Teams dashboard on your smart phone, you know exactly what I mean. An important question to ask becomes how can we create a healthy balance as our lives at work and lives away from work become increasingly intertwined? The most effective way that I have found to create this balance while staying in touch with my inner child is to block off dedicated time for doing the things that make me happy with the people I love. Whether it’s a full week, a weekend, or just an afternoon I work extremely hard to metaphorically close my office door. I find that when work and life don’t compete with one another, but support and enrich each other, I am substantially happier, more productive, and ready to calmly overcome challenges when I open that office door again.”

The takeaways…

Adjust your attitude, hit reset regularly, nap and close that metaphorical office door.  Even more importantly, be OK with doing these ‘you’ things! The adage “work hard, play harder” seems to be at the heart of being successful for just about everything.  Trending in the modern workplace from the top down, and spilling into our personal life, this approach fosters balance.

To all this I must add ‘spontaneity’. To me, spontaneity is the very basis of how we played as children.  It involves imagination and the playfulness of mind to grasp the sometimes-fleeting opportunity for unexpected joy.

So yes, I found my answers, and they are answers I knew all along.  But it’s helpful to be reminded of them nonetheless.  So, before the burn out comes again, I plan to follow the advice of my mentors and without guilt, invoke the power of play (or reset, or napping!) on a much more regular basis.

Be well!