“Fun is good.” – Dr. Seuss
When was the last time you took a break during the working day for some fun?
I often start the day with a long ‘to do’ list, but I always throw in a couple of ‘fun items’ too – these are things which I enjoy and don’t consider to be work (even though I do actually enjoy most of my work too). Quite often though, the ‘fun items’ get scrapped from the list, because other jobs have taken longer or new work has come into the equation. Obviously, that happens sometimes, but this self-coaching tip is really for those who are not allowing themselves to have a break – and are constantly working, resulting in them feeling stressed and actually not being able to relax, even at bed-time.
So, to benefit from this tip, make time for a fun activity – it doesn’t need to be long, and it needs to be something which you like, preferably something which means you have to move around a bit. It could be as simple as throwing paper balls into a bin or making a mini golf course in your office or living room.
It doesn’t matter what the activity is; the onus here is on getting into a playful state – one which is curious and excited.
Write your fun activity onto your list and make sure you do it! No scrapping it from the list – it only has to be for a few minutes. Focus fully on the activity while you are doing it and when you’ve had a little fun, go back to work, knowing that you will have some more fun soon. Do this regularly to increase your productivity and improve your ability to relax after you stop working.
In NLP terms, this is called a ‘break state’ where you are shifting from a work-state to a play-state, for example. Regular breaks like these will keep you feeling refreshed and energised. It’s as much to do with moving to a new physical position as it is to do with toggling between left and right brain activities. And it works for me.
As ever, please share your thoughts or ideas by leaving me a comment here or on Facebook or Twitter 🙂