Are you playing enough at work?

By Jena Griffiths | December 7, 2011

“The opposite of play isn’t work, it’s depression.”

I was at Google head office in Zurich yesterday to meet the Startup Bus team. A group of creative young entrepreneurs touring Europe at the moment. Well done to Zurich based event organiser David Butler.

While there I had a chance to peek behind scenes at the Google office space.

I really take my hat off to Google for understanding basic needs of their employees to play more, take cat naps and care for body, mind and spirit. What a cool place. They really set a standard that other companies would do well to follow.

There’s a wonderful ambiance: lots of play areas, snack bars, meeting nooks and crannies, a finess and massage center and there’s even darkened room lit up only with fish tanks where you can sleep or meditate when you need time out.

I love the firemen chutes from one floor to the next. Why take the lift when you can have an adrenaline rush?