In Pursuit of Work, Don’t Forget Joy
Photo by True Agency on Unsplash
This article originally appeared on Inc. in March, 2024. You can see it here, and you can see more of my writing for Inc. right here.
I can’t help but snicker whenever I see someone in a white-collar or knowledge work field evangelize their pre-dawn cold plunges, carnivore diets, or red light therapy sessions.
Like, get real. You are on a software sales team, not a SWAT team.
When did we all start taking ourselves so seriously?
Look, I’m down for a little biohacking. I wear my Oura ring. I eat my greens. But maybe we’ve been going about productivity the wrong way. I suspect that having a little fun can incite more progress — and certainly more joy — than being white-knuckled workaholics every waking moment of the day.
I’m not so naive as to think work should be fun all the time. I understand how an office happy hour event can feel truly excruciating for some. But play can act as a physical and mental reset to the stresses of our work. It can release endorphins and support better mental acuity over time.
What I’m saying is that play is just as vital to our well-being, to our lives, as work.
March 20 was International Happiness Day, and if you can’t remember the last time you engaged in a little playfulness, these tips are for you.
Listen to upbeat music
I dig The Cure as much as the next person, but if intense tunes are your go-to, give yourself a break.
I’m not saying sad music makes you sad. I’m saying everything has its time and place. Spotify has a whole genre of ambient “Focus” music and hardcore “Motivation” playlists — customize your own “un-focus” playlist for taking the dog out or straightening up your living room.
Maybe that’s dance music, early-aughts R&B, or your favorite boy band from high school. Let your heart lead the way.
Speaking of dancing, Australian researchers just released a study that shows dancing is the most effective form of exercise in treating depression. It’s better than jogging, better than yoga, better than lifting weights.
So cut a rug now and then. It might pick you up more than you expect.
Curate your headspace
This little anecdote about two monks crossing a river elicited a deep “Mhm” from within my soul when I read it. It reminded me of the advice a friend and early mentor gave me years ago: “Forgive and delete.”
Sometimes, a sense of righteous anger or indignation can feel invigorating. But wielding this flame does more harm than good. It creates an adversary where there doesn’t need to be one.
When it comes to a rude exchange, or something not working out in your favor for reasons you can only perceive as asinine, just move on.
Why hold on to hurt?
Learn from it. Keep it moving. Let it go. Forgive and delete.
Sign up for a Wonder Date
If you didn’t get the memo, siloes are over. Seriously, organizations that cannot align and work across departments and functions will not survive the near future.
Playfilled is a cool new startup seeking to inject an element of play into the workday through its Wonder Dates platform. Wonder Dates provide mini-experiences that foster deeper connections than mere conversation can.
When you sign your employees up for Wonder Dates, their system matches each employee with someone else inside the company who may or may not know or work with each other. In just 12 minutes, the app guides users through a playful activity meant to serve as a creative brain break that gets them out of their comfort zone. For example, it may ask the pair to draw portraits of one another using their non-dominant hand.
Nobody’s good at it. It’ll make you laugh. It’s a point of connection. After your “Wonder Hiit,” you move on with your day.
If you’re curious, check out their Kickstarter campaign here. For just $1, you’ll be connected with someone new in the corporate world — not your own company.
Try it out! You never know who you’ll meet.
Make something for the fun of it
My team at WLCM is largely based in Ukraine. After Russia invaded, we pulled together, moved to safety, and took quick stock of our joy quotient. It was, under the circumstances, a bit anemic.
Though we loved our teams and relationships, we also wanted the work itself to be more joyful. We’re a team of parents with a bunch of toddlers running around, so we decided to make an app to make our kids laugh.
Our Who Farted?! concept checked all the boxes. Emmy award-winning actors and comedians lent their voices to bring it to life. Everyone loved our absurd, funny storybook app, especially our own little babes.
Who Farted?! created laughter in a dark time.
Now, is this project profitable? Nope! In fact, every dollar it makes goes out the door to support organizations that support kids.
You could dedicate a team to making something absurd, you could write a poem of questionable quality, you could scare your partner when they turn a corner or tickle the nearest baby.
Whether you dance to the Backstreet Boys, put down a negative thought and leave it there, go on a Wonder Date for a paltry $1, or make something for the fun of it, do something.
My point is that joy matters. It matters quite a lot. If only on this International Day of Happiness, go get some.
