Beano approached me after seeing me posting on LinkedIn to ask me to write a series of LinkedIn posts aimed at adults and never growing old.

Here’s the first in the series, Being A Kid Never Gets Old “At Work” Edition.

Bring Your (Inner) Kid to Work!

Being a kid was ACE!

I found joy in every moment. Wore bright colours without worrying about trends. Collected cool stuff, and it was me who decided what was cool. I was curious about everything and rebelled against boredom by never letting it sneak up on me.

Then something terrible happened – I grew up and got a job.

Yawn!

For lots of us, work can often be a snoozefest of dull desks (even the hot ones), colourless clothes and days that drag. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Happy people do good work, and finding your happy place can supercharge your workday. Getting in touch with your inner kid is like opening the office window on a stuffy day – it refreshes the parts that other productivity tips can’t.

So, blow a raspberry at wearisome workdays and bring some of the joy, curiosity and fun you enjoyed as a kid to your groan… er, grown-up life.

Let’s start with your desk:

✏ Draw moustaches on everyone in those family snaps – and I mean everyone. Young or old, give ‘em all a flash ‘tash!

📱Get a wacky mobile phone holder that suits your style, whether it’s a cheeky astronaut, a cute cat, or the Sith-tastic Darth Vader. It doesn’t matter if no one else thinks it’s cool – you decide, remember!

🟢 Get some slime in a pot – it’s squidgy, playing with it helps with concentration, and it’ll emit a farting noise, which you can blame on someone else. 😊

🕹 Beat boredom by keeping your fingers busy while your brain problem-solves. Rubik’s cubes, Lego sets, fidget spinners and mini arcade games all do the trick.

Next, de-drab your work clothes and embrace colour. Keep it going with a vibrant laptop case and stationery. Stick up paperwork with novelty pins 📌 in shapes that make you grin. Emoji pins are a great way to categorise tasks 😉

Once you’ve kidified (yes, it’s a word) your desk and yourself, it’s time to spread the fun – play a few super-harmless pranks on (like-minded) unsuspecting colleagues, like:

🐭 Mouse mischief: put a piece of tape over the sensor on a colleague’s mouse and chuckle when they think it’s broken

🧻Toilet terror: draw a menacing spider on the next sheet of loo roll and wait for the screams to start

🎂Bake off: bring in a cake with ‘Find the bogey’ iced on top (delicious and disgusting)

Just make sure no one from HR is lurking nearby – that cake might take a bit of explaining!

Go on, unleash your inner child – ban boredom and embrace the joy, curiosity and silliness that made being a kid so amazing. Tap into the fun, enthusiasm and originality you used to have in (buckets and) spades and bring it to your current role!

#BeingAKidNeverGetsOld #Beano85

At Beano Studios, we make it our mission to talk to kids, listen to them, and encourage them to make creative mischief. Everything we do is powered by the joy of childhood, and for 85 years every generation of children has found itself reflected in Beano. We’re always happy to chat. Get in touch if you want to hear more. (BYO whoopie cushion!;)