In this article you will learn practical steps to being more playful in your work and life, the incredible benefits of adopting a playful mindset at work and why ‘playfulness’ goes way way further than mindfulness.
Let’s begin with understanding mindfulness.
Mindfulness and meditation are now a widely recognised tool for improving physical, mental and emotional health.
They work, they help to reduce anxiety and depression.
And that’s a super great thing.
Mindfulness is the practice of focusing one’s awareness on the breath, body and sensations, and in doing so, mental energy is taken away from the thought loops, overthinking, habitual thinking, worrying, catastrophising and general noise of irrational internal chat of the modern-day human being.
Mindfulness practices redirect attention to the awareness of what’s happening in the present moment.
Great stuff.
It takes a good deal of practice and repetition to become very good at it.
A fresh perspective of mindfulness is the act of being curious, and of listening.
I like this perspective because it creates a slight shift in the way we can look at the goal of mindfulness, because we’re no longer trying to achieve a certain state.
We’re simply being curious.
And curiosity is open to all of us.
At any moment
In any task or action.
Curiosity calls for a deeper connection to your breath, because breath is the gateway to the present moment.
Curiosity is also the first pillar of a playful mindset.
This is where mindfulness ends, and playfulness begins.
What can we do with curiosity?
What is possible with curiosity?
Curiosity opens the door to noticing more about your circumstances, surroundings, your thoughts and your feelings.
Because curiosity (and mindfulness) connects us to the breath and the present moment, we begin to relax, we engage our parasympathetic nervous system which is our ‘rest and digest’, regulated state.
This creates space in your mind to allow those moments of inspiration that seem to pop up from nowhere. Creative thoughts, ideas and new ways to look at problems.
This is your subconscious speaking to you, and now you are listening.
Great, so now what?
Ideas are one thing, but being open enough to explore them or take action on them is a whole other thing.
For that, we need to introduce the second and third pillar of a playful mindset.
The second pillar is spontaneity.
Taking action on ideas when they arise.
Enthusiasm has a half life.
You know that feeling of being super inspired by something new, or a new potential at work or in life, and the next day or next week, the excitement has waned and it no longer interests you.
Spontaneity is key if you want that excitement to spill over to the next step.
And that’s why the third pillar is courage.
It takes courage to take action, right?
What if it doesn’t work?
What if the business loses money?
What if my ideas are ridiculed?
There are so many stories that we tell ourselves to prevent us from taking action.
But we all know, those who thrive tend to take consistent action towards their goals.
So, now you know the 3 pillars of a playful mindset, Curiosity, Spontaneity and Courage.
Just like mindfulness, these pillars need to be practiced in order for you to become accomplished at them. Especially the second two pillars.
Here’s the thing, practicing them is fun!
Creating a framework for fun and playfulness delivers the exact skills and tools you need to master the arts of taking spontaneous action on ideas and being courageous to do so.
I’m not just talking about playing games.
Introducing a playful mindset to anything you do, even the mundane and familiar can give you an opportunity to practice these skills.
Being curious, spontaneous and courageous demands a lot of presence and breath to stay with it and it is this that can positively change your emotional and physical state, very quickly.
So, having fun and being more playful is good for you, and that’s just science.
Mindfulness is a great place to start, but playfulness ensures you are engaging in the world, exploring, discovering and contributing.
It is through engagement with life that you can experience more growth, expansion and learn more about yourself and those around you.
The actions of a playful mindset might bring up all sorts of feelings, and emotions. The very things we were trying to become present to with mindfulness.
This sounds like a paradox, but it isn’t.
Practicing the pillars of playfulness, you are literally rewiring your brain to be ok with the occasional discomfort, uncertainty and risk that is ultimately inevitable in life.
You show yourself, your subconscious mind, and your brain, ‘see, that wasn’t so scary’, and next time you won’t feel so much discomfort, it will become easier and easier.
That’s growth.
That’s why playfulness is the new mindfulness, it goes further.
Playfulness facilitates growth and transformation quicker.
There’s a brilliant framework in comedy / Improv, called, ‘Yes, and’.
It’s an invitation to join and contribute to a spontaneous activity or game that asks for curiosity and a little splash of courage, because you understand the framework and ‘rules’ of the game, but you better stay present, because you’re making it up as you go along.
It’s a lot of fun.
There are many ways you can bring ‘play’ into your life:
Here’s a simple example:
‘The Noticing Game’ is a communication game with 2 or more people involved; you take turns to say what you are noticing in the moment (internally or externally, it can be anything, even a response to what the other person says), followed by how it makes you feel.
This game has no limits, give it a try.
It’s got an element of all three pillars.
Playfulness is not just for children. It’s our brain’s preferred way of learning AT ANY AGE.
For many, especially busy professional adults, playfulness is edgy, it can be uncomfortable because you don’t know the outcome, you’re likely to make mistakes and you’re likely to belly laugh and smile until it hurts (that’s not the usual business persona you’re used to keeping up appearances with).
But the outcomes and benefits are big time!
If you’re spontaneously busy and focused on what’s happening in the act of ‘play’, you’re no longer focused on the internal noise that may have been worrying you.
And it is worry that stimulates anxiety.
Play changes your emotional state, quickly.
The neuroscience is clear.
The power of play resides in its ability to increase neuroplasticity.
So, a playful mindset isn’t just a cheap brain hack to change your state.
It is a playful mindset that helps you build resilience to uncertainty and risk, it helps you become a better, more creative problem solver.
A playful mindset gives you the confidence to try new things, to explore your inspirations and those ideas from deep within.
In Buddhist meditation philosophy it is said that ‘meditation is an art of living’.
At wholehearted AF we like to say – ‘playfulness is the art of resilience and confidence’.
Living is one thing, creating the life or business you deeply desire is a whole different thing, as that takes effort and growth to achieve your goals.
And the best part of all this is that it is immediately practical. You don’t need a lot of technique or teachings.
The pillars of a playful mindset are universally recognisable as fundamental human traits.
Take a breath and be curious.
Listen and explore.
The world needs more playful minds.
The world needs innovation and new ideas
The world needs courageous people
The world needs action.
That’s a playful mindset.
And that is why playfulness is the new mindfulness.
The find out more about playfulness and how it can transform you, your business, your team and your life, please get in touch with us at Wholehearted AF, we are the play experts and we are here to bring more ‘play’ to busy professional lives.
