The Hidden Habit Blocking Better Ideas, Connection and Energy: Dara Simkin (Part 2)

About this episode

Dara Simkin discusses the transformative power of play in work and life, exploring play personalities and their impact on creativity and connection.

In Part 2 of her conversation with Dr Jodi Richardson on Well, Hello Anxiety, Australia’s leading play-at-work expert Dara Simkin dives deeper into how play can transform the way we think, work, and connect. Dara breaks down Dr Stuart Brown’s play personalities—including the creator, competitor, explorer, joker, kinesthetic, collector, storyteller and director—and explores how understanding your dominant styles can help you bring more play into everyday life (even in small, “mundane” moments like changing your coffee order or talking to a stranger). The conversation also unpacks why most of our days are actually improvised, yet we’ve never been taught how to do it well. Dara introduces the powerful “Yes, and” vs “Yes, but” exercise, revealing how a single word shift can completely change collaboration, energy, and creativity in conversations and workplaces. They also explore: Why play is essential for mental health, creativity, and resilience How workplace “play” often fails when it becomes performative instead of meaningful The importance of permission, space, and spark in creating playful work…

People in this episode

Host: Dr Jodi Richardson

Guest: Dara Simkin

Topics covered

• play at work
• mental health
• creativity
• collaboration
• workplace culture
• resilience

Keywords

• play
• mental health
• creativity
• collaboration
• workplace
• energy
• resilience
• improvisation
• connection

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