From the Element of Play

Articles & Reflections

Thoughts, tools and practical reflections from Jodi Salmond on adult play, burnout recovery, playful leadership, self-connection, nervous system reset, creativity, nature connection and feeling more like yourself again.

These articles are part of The Element of Play, Jodi Salmond's work exploring how play, movement, nature connection, creativity and joy can support burnout recovery, self-leadership and more human ways of living and leading.

Play + Environment

What Are You Setting Yourself Up For?

What if the thing standing between you and play isn't a lack of motivation, but friction? A reflection on setting yourself up for the life you actually want, with Rochelle Callard.

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Play + Rest

When Rest Still Feels Empty

What happens when high performance becomes your default mode, and rest starts to feel harder than pushing through? A reflection on stopping, rest and the gaps we keep filling.

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Play + Culture

What If An Empty Hour Isn't Wasted, It's An Investment?

What Ernest Tan taught me about informing versus forming, and why the hour nobody scheduled might be doing more work than any of the hours we did.

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Play + Curiosity

The Many-Thinged Thing

What happens when we stop trying to have everything figured out and get a little more curious instead? A reflection on adult play, curiosity, risk, trust and real connection with Gabriella Salmon.

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Play + Visibility

Who Are You When the Lights Are Off?

What happens when the version of you that the world sees gets more energy than the version your closest people receive? Reflections on authority, authenticity and who we are when nobody is watching.

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Play + Energy

What If the Thing That Restores You Doesn't Look Restful?

What David Kennington taught me about fatigue, focused play and noticing your warning lights before something breaks.

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Play + Self-Connection

When Did We Become Human Doings Instead of Human Beings?

How constant productivity pulled us away from play, and why finding our way back matters.

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Leadership + Workplace Wellbeing

What Is Play-Based Leadership? A Human-Centred Approach to Burnout Prevention

Play-based leadership uses curiosity, experimentation, humour and connection to reduce burnout risk, build psychological safety, and create more human workplaces.

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Play + Neuroscience

Why Your Brain Needs Play to Think Straight

The science is simpler than you think, and so is the fix. When you're under sustained pressure, your brain narrows its focus and that narrowing comes at a cost.

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Burnout + Play

Why Play Is the Secret Weapon Against Burnout

When life feels flat and heavy, play may be one of the most practical ways back to yourself. Burnout does not always announce itself dramatically. Sometimes it arrives quietly, while you are still functioning on the outside.

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Burnout + Self-Connection

How to Feel Like Yourself Again When You're Running on Empty

When you're still functioning, but no longer feeling like yourself.

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Survival Mode + Aliveness

What Survival Mode Really Feels Like: And How to Start Softening It

When you have been coping for so long that tension starts to feel normal, survival mode can be hard to recognise. Here is how to notice it and gently begin to soften it.

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