Work-life balance can look a little different for everyone – but it doesn’t mean saving fun for the weekend and grinding out the weekdays with no breaks, feeling miserable and exhausted. BigSpeak EVP Ken Sterling encourages incorporating a little more fun into your workday to increase productivity, happiness, health, and creativity. 

If you want to learn how to make the workday a little more enjoyable, read on for Ken’s top insights! 

Previously published on INC.

Be honest: What’s the average workday for your team? Do your employees arrive at their desks, sit for eight hours (or more), and feel exhausted by the end of the day? Or maybe they work from home and are logging ten-plus hours (“already watched all the good Netflix stuff, nothing else to do and don’t want to get fired”). Rinse and repeat for five days and you have the average deflating workweek.

Hold on. Aren’t there better ways to work? What if they could still get crucial tasks done promptly without putting in the extra hours or feeling stuck? 

The answer, my friends, is less work and more fun.

That’s right. More fun at work. Crazy, right?

I’m not saying you should turn your office into a playground or start having water balloon fights instead of meetings (though that does sound like a lot of fun). What I am saying is that by incorporating some elements of fun and comfort into your workday, you can make all the difference to your employees. 

Trust me, as someone who works in the event planning industry, I know a thing or two about making work more fun. Here are a few things we do at my events company that you might like to try.

Encourage employees to take more breaks, and take them yourself.

It might seem counterintuitive. However, taking more breaks can increase productivity. Stepping away from work refreshes you while giving your brain time to process ideas. Even better, according to Natalie Nixon, author of The Creativity Leap, when you step away from your desk you open yourself up to creative ideas.

I suggest a 10-minute refresh every hour. And when they’re taking their breaks, encourage employees to do something they enjoy–like reading, listening to music, or taking a walk outside. Most employees won’t do this, of course, until you and your leadership team also do it. 

The benefit is everyone will be refreshed, including you as a leader.

Schedule fun activities throughout the week, and join in.

Routine can be the best way to be productive–until it isn’t. Sometimes, you need to break up routines. Whether it’s an office-wide game of charades or simply taking 15 minutes to chat with co-workers around the water cooler (or on Zoom), give your employees scheduled time to have fun. It will help alleviate stress and make the workday more bearable. It’s also great for building your team relationships.

As with breaks, you will need to join in to be successful. If you’re not seen enjoying yourself, chances are your employees won’t be either!

Make sure your workplace is comfortable. 

Make sure the office (either your headquarters or home workstation) is comfortable. It goes a long way in terms of employee morale (and productivity). According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, employees with comfortable and ergonomic work areas have fewer injuries, less absenteeism, are more productive, and have better morale.

Invest in ergonomic furniture for the headquarters–and give funds for remote employees to do the same for their home workstations. Your employees will thank you for it. And it will show in your bottom line in terms of less turnover and higher productivity.

If you want your employees to be more productive, happy, healthy, and creative, make sure you’re incorporating fun into the workday! Encourage multiple breaks, schedule “fun” activities, and make sure the workspace is comfortable–your employees will thank you for it. And who knows? You might just find you enjoy work a little bit more yourself.