I’m sitting in my office, trying very hard to be an adult, answering emails and finishing work. My dogs Elsa and Marshall are at work with me today, and you would think that being in an office would make them at least attempt to behave like serious, respectable members of society. But no. These two mutts are gloriously unbothered and joyfully untethered, running around the space like they have nothing to lose. What I want to lose is my temper, but when I look at these two goofing around without a care in the world, there is a small part of me that just wants to join in the fun.
But I do have work to finish. Right now I am wearing my work-hat. Soon I will be home and I will put on the mom-hat, the chauffeur-to-my-kids-hat, the organiser-of-the-home-hat, the check-if-there-are-groceries-in-the-fridge-hat, the pay-off-bills-hat. So many hats. And now that I think about it, they are all serious, adult hats. As I watch Elsa and Marshall circling yet another wobbling table, I find myself wondering where on earth I left my playfulness-hat.
For most of us adults, our playfulness-hat lies dust-covered and deeply buried beneath piles and piles of other hats. Hats that seem so much more important. Who has the time to be playful when there are so many more important things to do, right?
Why Playfulness Matters
Playfulness does matter because it softens the weight of being an adult. It reminds us that life is not meant to be lived only through responsibilities, deadlines and constant problem solving. When we allow ourselves to be playful, even in small ways, something inside loosens. Our nervous system relaxes, our mind becomes lighter and our creativity wakes up.
Playfulness reconnects us with joy, with curiosity, with the parts of us that existed long before the roles and the hats took over our lives. It is not frivolous. It is not a waste of time. It is a gentle but powerful reset that brings us back to ourselves.
The Science Behind It
Playfulness is not just a cute idea. It is backed by research.
• Studies from the American Journal of Play show that adults who engage in moments of play have lower stress hormones and higher levels of serotonin.
• Neuroscientists at Stanford found that playful thinking activates the brain’s default mode network, the part responsible for creativity, problem solving and emotional balance.
• The University of Pennsylvania found that people who incorporate small playful breaks into their day report a 30–40% improvement in mood and well-being.
In short, the science agrees with what Elsa and Marshall demonstrate effortlessly: play is not optional. It is essential.
Playfulness at Work
And since both of them are at work with me today, it makes me think about how important playfulness is in the workplace too.
I often think back to the time I stood watching the Pike Place fishmongers in Seattle, the ones who work in the middle of a wet, smelly market, throwing fish across the counter as if they were tossing confetti. They turned one of the messiest, least glamorous jobs into something joyful simply by choosing to be playful.
Their philosophy is simple: choose your attitude, play, make someone’s day and be present.
If people surrounded by ice, fish guts and chaos can find a way to laugh, connect and enjoy themselves, surely we can do the same in our air-conditioned offices and living rooms.
At work, it might mean:
- sharing a joke
- taking a five-minute fun break
- celebrating small wins
- allowing a meeting to hold a moment of lightness
At home, it could be:
- dancing while doing chores
- playing with your kids or pets
- cooking something silly
- giving yourself permission to lighten up
We do not need more time.
We only need more intention.
Playfulness in the Wild
Even in the forest, one of the most stressful environments to survive, I have seen play everywhere. I have watched rhino babies playing catch, monkeys whacking another when he is not looking and sprinting away, elephants spraying each other with water like they are celebrating Holi, and cubs rolling over one another through the sand, kicking up huge clouds of dust.
If they can find their playfulness-hat in the wild, why can’t we?
What Elsa and Marshall Taught Me
It is a bit funny that the lesson today did not come from a workshop or a book. It came from two mutts who have absolutely no respect for office decorum. And while I can hardly imagine these two fools as teachers, I have to admit that their lesson is pretty spectacular.
Playfulness does not need to be something we grow out of. It is simply something we forget to reach for as we try to keep our adult hat snugly in place. But if Elsa and Marshall can live it, if the fishmongers can demonstrate it, if the forest can do it, and if the only downside is that for a few minutes a day we get to be present, to feel joy, connection and a good laugh, then I think it is time we rummage through our hat box, find that playfulness-hat and hang it up proudly, not instead of our work-hat or our parent-hat, but alongside them.
A Gentle Invitation
So let us start small, you and I. Let us begin with one gentle moment that lets you feel a little more alive, a little more free, a little more in touch with your joyful self.
Yesterday, when I placed my work-hat on the stand, I decided to put on my playfulness-hat instead. I watched a movie with my boys… an animated movie! Something they absolutely love, and I found myself remembering the simple joy I felt watching cartoons when I was their age. Under that new hat, I felt joyful, connected and more myself than I expected to feel.
So go find that forgotten hat, dust it off and place it gently on your head. And if you ever doubt yourself, just think of Elsa and Marshall running in circles around my office, reminding us that joy is a choice… and it is always closer than we think.
