I’m a firm believer that children learn more from what they observe versus what they hear. As parents, we can talk to our children until we’re blue in the face about how they can be whatever it is they set their little minds to be. Carpe diem!
But do we, ourselves, live by that motto?
Are we jumping out of bed every morning anxious to start yet another work day or are we dragging our feet and barking orders because we know the inevitable awaits us…another day of typing away in our cubicles, attending meetings, busing tables, crunching numbers, grading papers, cleaning houses, making phone calls, stocking shelves, [insert your job here]?
Work isn’t always fun. That’s a fact of life. Yet even the most mundane days can be a lot easier to swallow when we consciously choose to surround ourselves with great people and seek out opportunities to apply our personal strengths.
School isn’t always fun either. However, educators have learned how to break up the monotony by encouraging students to take part in super fun, energy-refueling activities.
Enter: Pajama Day!
How great would it be if adults could have pajama day at least once per year? With the caveat that anyone who wants to participate needs to cover all their bits and pieces.
How NOT to do a theme day in your office. Will Ferrell as Mr. Patriotic in Season 27 of Saturday Night Live.
Here are a few more activities I believe adults can copy from their children to combat the day-to-day grind.
1. Food day – You don’t have to do anything but eat. Ask your mom to prepare or buy your snack and then drop it off at your office for you and your friends to enjoy.
2. Snow day – You don’t have to shovel unless you want to. Your job is to call your friends to mutually decide upon a location to gather, find your snow pants, catch a few snowflakes on your tongue, devise a fort, build a ramp for sledding, and play until you can’t feel your fingers.
3. Show and share – Bring in your favorite gadget or memento and tell your colleagues why you love it. Let them play with it too.
4. Dodge ball - No direct shots thrown at anyone else’s face, no matter how tempted you are to do just that.
5. Rotating room assignments – Everyone should know what it feels like to work in another person’s shoes. Variety is the spice of life.
6. Certificates of achievement – Who doesn’t want to be recognized for reading the most books, doing the most pull-ups, being a good friend, or balancing a budget?
7. Field trips – Learning about something new is never a bad thing. Neither is leaving your comfort zone.
8. Recess – The benefits of regularly increasing your heart rate include greater focus and lower stress levels, which in turn, boosts productivity. Find something that feels more like recess and less like exercise.
9. Nap time – Just sit back and imagine how nice it would be to have your own employer-issued mat, soft music, a darkened room, and 30 minutes of uninterrupted shut-eye as a daily ritual.
So, who’s with me? Sign my petition (leave a comment) to show your support for bringing back the fun. Feel free to add your own ideas to the list of activities if you have any.
Heidi Woodard is married with three children. Read her Thursdays on momaha.com
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