Why Your Brain Needs Play More Than Another Coffee Break

Last week I caught up with a friend… and it’s worth a blog post. 🙃

Here’s what happened:

Just before I was about to meet her, I had a silly idea (fun fact: bit of a trademark of mine 😁)… A colour hunt! And because she’s a likeminded playful spirit, she was up for it straight away.

We each picked a colour and spent our walk spotting as many things of that colour as we could, photographing every single one.

Doesn’t sound like much, hey?

But.

Yes, but!

Here’s what it actually was: capital-P-Presence. Play. A wee creative act that cost nothing and required no skill whatsoever (okay, being able to operate a phone camera helps!).

We weren’t half-listening to each other while thinking about our to-do lists. Instead, we were noticing.

Now, here’s why I think this matters beyond a fun afternoon out with a friend…

If you work in an office, sit through back-to-back meetings, or spend most of your day context-switching between screens and tasks, your brain is probably craving this more than you realise. Not more input. Not more productivity hacks. Just… a break that actually feels like a break.

Research consistently shows that short, playful, open-ended activities reduce cognitive fatigue, lift mood, and improve focus when you return to work. Not in a vague “wellbeing is important” way, but in a practical, measurable way. You come back to your desk clearer. A little lighter. Genuinely more capable of creative thinking than if you’d just scrolled through your phone over a sandwich.

A 10-minute colour hunt on your lunch break isn’t a waste of time. It’s a reset.

You don’t need equipment, a creative background, or any particular skill. You just need to step outside, pick a colour, and follow your curiosity for a little while. Play this on your own between meetings, suggest it to a colleague, or try it with your kids on the way home. It works anywhere, with anyone, at any pace.

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I’m Franzi, an educator and creative play & process art specialist designing open-ended art experiences that nurture creativity, confidence, and wellbeing. For children discovering their creative voice, and adults reconnecting with theirs.

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