Fun At Work Day is dedicated to celebrating your time at work and those who find ways to make it enjoyable every day.
Fun… at work? Are you sure?
When was the last time you had fun at work? Is it possible to have fun and work?
When I first wrote this blog back in 2018 I had been delivering some self-development programmes for women as a 'Springboard trainer' These days I am delivering my own programmes online for both men and women who want to work on their self-development.
The 'Thrive' content is different and the people who sign up are different, however, the principle is the same. Helping people to be the best version of themselves both personally and professionally.
One of the key areas I work with people is stress and overwhelm. Helping them to find ways to keep their stress levels as low as possible with the best possible ways to manage the stress using techniques that work for them. Reducing and removing the triggers where possible and learning to manage the rest.
I help them to find a balance that works for them between work and their home life, one that supports their mental, physical and emotional health.
We all live busy lives, organisations are asking for us to deliver and produce more, with less resource and budget, personal lives are another ball to juggle, and it can all become very overwhelming.
As this blog goes out again at the beginning of 2021 our working lives have changed dynamically again. Many of us are now working from home and have been for some time, parents are now factoring in homeschooling responsibilities and those who are key workers are continuing to work under increasingly difficult circumstances and conditions.
Fun at work is probably not featuring for many people at this moment in time.
It is important to keep that stress bucket empty and fun and laughter can have a big impact. There is a lot of research that supports that fun at work reduces stress but can also increase morale and productivity.
It is important to have a good relationship with colleagues and balancing out a stressful job or workload with office banter can really help with this. Who helps make your working day more enjoyable? Maybe today is the day you let them know and show your appreciation.
Even with the challenges that we currently face, having fun at work is still important. It may even be more important to help people take a breather from the working day and have a moment to allow the stress to drop a little.
What do you consider to be 'fun'? It can vary a lot for different people. Whilst it will be helpful to understand what this looks like for your colleagues, an important point is to ensure that you understand what it means for you.
What do you do for fun and enjoyment?
Life is about balance, and so when stress end of the scale is tipping and weighing heavily it becomes even more important to make sure that you balance the scale back by activities, conversations and ways to relax, switch off and have fun.
In other words, the more that is going 'in' the stress bucket, the more you need to do to make sure it is getting emptied, daily.
Don't let this be the area that you neglect. Go for that walk to break up the day. Stop for 5 minutes and have fun with your children, phone a friend or colleague and have a 'covid free' conversation. Watch the films and youtube videos that make you laugh and give yourself permission to have some nonsense giggling.
On a more serious note, for many people, their work is one of the main contributors to their stress levels. We spend a lot of time at work so if the work is not in alignment with our values and the type of work does not fulfil our needs then it can all contribute to the stress that is filling the bucket.
Having fun at work seems impossible.
Wakin up in the morning dreading going into work.
Becoming withdrawn from office conversations and social activities.
The work itself is no longer fulfilling or challenging.
Feeling stuck and not knowing what they want instead.
Is this you?
Is it time for a change?
If this sounds like you and you feel like you need to pause and reflect on what is working/not working then the 'Challenge to Change your Career' activity sheet may be helpful to you in working out what it is you may want instead.
If you aren’t sure what you want to do and want to be able to untangle the thoughts and get a clear plan of how to move forward then book a free, no-obligation clarity call.
First published Jan 2019
Revised and published Jan 2020
Revised and published Jan 2021