Play and wellbeing at work

Abstract

The rapid rise in research on wellbeing has drawn to itself almost all phenomena within its conceptual neighbourhood. The types of activity we call ‘play’ have been prime candidates for this conceptual attraction or collision. That is unsurprising. In day-to-day life, being at play is considered emblematic of enjoyable moments and times, for children and adults alike. Remembering a time at play is to relive moments of being lifted out of ‘ordinary life’ and deposited, if only briefly, in a world without a care – or at least only the passing cares that last only so long as the playing. Most people would hope that a life of wellbeing might be liberally sprinkled with just such moments. Play researchers, however, have discovered that play has many facets and functions, not all positive.