The opposite of play isn't work, it's depression.

~Dr Brian Sutton-Smith

The opposite of play isn't work, it's depression. ~Dr Brian Sutton-Smith

Play: The Cure for Burnout | Acey Holmes | TEDxManitouSprings

Research & Resources

PODCASTS

(click here for Spotify Playlist)

The Neuroscience of Playfulness at Work

Instill Culture Lab with Dan Kasper

How to Have Fun at Work: This is How You Keep Employees!

Flip Flops and People Ops with Christie Hoffman

On Playfulness as a Cure for Burnout

The Sensitivity Doctors

Coaching Connection

LinkedIn Live with Josh Gibbs

Dopamine Geta a Bad Wrap with Acey Holmes

Leadership Bites, Terry Whitaker and Kristen Bakalar

Let the Adults Play: How Integrating Play Leads to Transformative Success with Acey Holmes

Stop Blaming Avocados: thoughtful conversations about human-first work and inspire a more human-first approach to life, community, and organization, Chava Vietze

How to Take Ourselves Less Seriously with Acey Holmes

The Life Coach Baker Podcast, Nicole Baker

How Nonprofit Learning and Development Leaders Can Use Play to Create Organizational Change with Acey Holmes

Learning for Good, Heather Burright

The Surprising Power of Play with Acey Holmes

Action’s Antidotes, Stephen Jaye

Power of Play at Work with Acey Holmes

Telepractice Today Podcast, K. Todd Houston and Kim Dutro Allen

Acey Holmes, BoredLess and Nick Armstrong (the Power of Play)

Founded in FoCo Podcast, Nick Armstrong

Acey Holmes with January Jones - Risk vs. Rewards for Entrepreneurs

“It’s the Economy” KGNU Community Radio

Unlocking the Power of Play for Professionals

Playful Humans, Mike Montague

FUN: What the hell is it and why do we need it?

Glennon Doyle - We Can Do Hard Things Podcast

Play as an Energy Source

Brene Brown - Unlocking Us 09/23/2020

Fun-tervention

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos 09/26/2021

What’s a Psychologically Safe Workplace?

Kara Stewart Fortier - Playgrounding 4/14/2021 with Lauren Yee

BOOKS

Feel Good Productivity - Ali Abdaal

Chief Joy Officer - Richard Sheridan

Creative Courage, Welby Altidor

Creativity, Inc Ed Catmull

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Playful Intelligence - Anthony T DeBenedet

The Fun Habit, Mike Rucker, PhD

The Play Book - Janet Omstead

Playful Rebellion - Gary Ware

The Art of Gathering - Priya Parker

The Power of Fun - Catherine Price

No negative vibes; Organizational fun as a practice of social control - Virve Peteri (chapter 9 from Assembling Therapeutics)

From Competitive Edge to Playful Spirit: The Evolution of the NFL Pro Bowl

The Engagement-Profitability Link: How Engaged Employees Drive Business Success

State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report Gallup

Flow and Business Success Deloitte and Flow Research Collective

Playful work design: Conceptualization, measurement, and validity Yuri S Scharp, Arnold B Bakker, et al (Human Relations journal)

Play and productivity: enhancing the creative climate at workplace meetings with play cues Samuel E. West et al (American Journal of Play)

Why playing games is good for you Ellie Smith (bbc.com)

What is Flow in Psychology? Catherine Moore, Psychologist, MBA

The well-being of playful adults: Adult playfulness, subjective well-being, physical well-being, and the pursuit of enjoyable activities Rene T Proyer (European Journal of Humor Research)

The virtuousness of adult playfulness: the relation of playfulness with strengths of character Rene Proyer and Willibard Ruch (Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice)

Does playful work design ‘lead to’ more creativity? A diary study on the role of flow Wei Liu, et al (spoiler: the answer is yes) (European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology)

The Playful Corporation Martin Reeves, Jack Fuller, Gerardo Gutierrez Lopez (BCG Henderson Institute)

The World Happiness Report Sustainable Development Solutions Network

The State of American Friendship Survey Center on American Life

Boredom is a warning sign. Here’s what it’s telling you. Richard Sima (Washington Post)

Roca Gallery on Aldo Van Eyck Pedro Torrijos

Play as the Foundation for Hunter-Gatherer Social Existence Peter Gray (American Journal of Play)

Alibis of Adult Play Sebastian Deterding

ARTICLES

Dr. Andrew Huberman discusses how to use play to rewire and improve your brain. Also available as a podcast

Peter Gray discusses “The Decilne of Play. He speaks for children, however, this is translatable for adults as well.

"What makes a life worth living?"