Adults can’t handle free time — unstructured activity makes them anxious.
From high school on, all people are trained to do is work. So they forget how to play.
Yet, children always seem to find a creative outlet. They have no problem building something out of Legos or using their imagination to draw.
On the contrary, the adult version of playtime usually consists of material consumption. We work to buy things we can enjoy when we are not working. Americans cling to purchases as a substitute for boredom.
When we get bored at our jobs, we procrastinate and chase down the nearest source of dopamine. We check email and social media to appear “busy” at work.
Office environments can inspire a cycle of procrastination:
We live to work, and we work to live. We feel meaningless without a title and a checklist.
But what if the office was like a jungle gym or a treehouse where workers would want to play again?
Playtime may be over but it that doesn’t mean the crayons need to end.