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 environments
Why seriousness does NOT equal success
How energy, bandwidth, and burnout are connected to how we live and work
The idea of “vitamin C” (connection) and intelligent optimism in navigating modern life

Dara also reflects on how play isn’t optional—it’s fundamental. As she shares, when we lose play, we lose access to creativity, hope, and flexible thinking.

👉 Learn more about Dara’s work: https://culturehero.co

👉 Explore the book Full Stack Human: https://fullstackhumanbook.com

👉 Available at Amazon, Booktopia, gimmicks readings and your local bookstore

 

Connect with Dr Jodi Richardson:

https://linktr.ee/drjodirichardson?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabqDVAw_zhoG3IXGRhgjn-J14BFJy50ztJbCHywMfZobVH12nX1USMbisI_aem_QViUbKkXHlwbD3y4kGcvGQ

In Part 2 of her conversation with Dr Jodi Richardson on Well, Hello Anxiety, Australia&rsquo;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&rsquo;s play personalities&mdash;including the creator, competitor, explorer, joker, kinesthetic, collector, storyteller and director&mdash;and explores how understanding your dominant styles can help you bring more play into everyday life (even in small, &ldquo;mundane&rdquo; 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&rsquo;ve never been taught how to do it well. Dara introduces the powerful &ldquo;Yes, and&rdquo; vs &ldquo;Yes, but&rdquo; 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 &ldquo;play&rdquo; often fails when it becomes performative instead of meaningful The importance of permission, space, and spark in creating playful work environments Why seriousness does NOT equal success How energy, bandwidth, and burnout are connected to how we live and work The idea of &ldquo;vitamin C&rdquo; (connection) and intelligent optimism in navigating modern life Dara also reflects on how play isn&rsquo;t optional&mdash;it&rsquo;s fundamental. As she shares, when we lose play, we lose access to creativity, hope, and flexible thinking. 👉 Learn more about Dara&rsquo;s work:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://culturehero.co&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1777347006150752&amp;usg=AOvVaw397lfrJQYodmPqWl0psCmy" data-rawhref="https://culturehero.co">https://culturehero.co</a> 👉 Explore the book Full Stack Human:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fullstackhumanbook.com&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1777347006150934&amp;usg=AOvVaw3-c9j4AsQTF5yT26h-xSod" data-rawhref="https://fullstackhumanbook.com">https://fullstackhumanbook.com</a> 👉 Available at Amazon, Booktopia, gimmicks readings and your local bookstore
&nbsp;
Connect with Dr Jodi Richardson:
<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://linktr.ee/drjodirichardson?fbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabqDVAw_zhoG3IXGRhgjn-J14BFJy50ztJbCHywMfZobVH12nX1USMbisI_aem_QViUbKkXHlwbD3y4kGcvGQ&amp;sa=D&amp;source=editors&amp;ust=1762815572393415&amp;usg=AOvVaw181E6AW8V9KU-FvOVSeOG1" data-rawhref="https://linktr.ee/drjodirichardson?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabqDVAw_zhoG3IXGRhgjn-J14BFJy50ztJbCHywMfZobVH12nX1USMbisI_aem_QViUbKkXHlwbD3y4kGcvGQ">https://linktr.ee/drjodirichardson?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabqDVAw_zhoG3IXGRhgjn-J14BFJy50ztJbCHywMfZobVH12nX1USMbisI_aem_QViUbKkXHlwbD3y4kGcvGQ</a>

Our minds didn’t evolve for modern day life. It’s natural to feel anxious, but sometimes we can get stuck in a cycle of anxiety that gets in the way of, well, everything. If you’re looking for a compassionate place to learn how to dial anxiety down and get on with creating a happier life with more calm, contentment, meaning and purpose, this is the podcast for you.
Well, hello anxiety is hosted by anxiety and well-being speaker, educator and bestselling author Dr Jodi Richardson. Through open and honest conversations Jodi and her guests share expertise, inspiration and practical strategies to help you rise to the challenge of being human with the tools you need to thrive.


For education and entertainment purposes only.

Our minds didn’t evolve for modern day life. It’s natural to feel anxious, but sometimes we can get stuck in a cycle of anxiety that gets in the way of, well, everything. If you’re looking for a compassionate place to learn how to dial anxiety down and get on with creating a happier life with more calm, contentment, meaning and purpose, this is the podcast for you. Well, hello anxiety is hosted by anxiety and well-being speaker, educator and bestselling author Dr Jodi Richardson. Through open and honest conversations Jodi and her guests share expertise, inspiration and practical strategies to help you rise to the challenge of being human with the tools you need to thrive.
 For education and entertainment purposes only.

This is ‘Well, hello anxiety’, a podcast where we end the struggle with anxiety and build our toolkit of practical skills to thrive.

Well, hello anxiety with Dr Jodi Richardson

Anxiety happens. What happens next is what matters most. But where to start? And then what? And what if it's someone else you're trying to help? 'Well, hello anxiety' is the podcast where you'll learn answers to all of these questions and so much more. You'll finally see anxiety for what it really is, understand it, learn what the science says about settling it right down and how to help others as well. If you're looking for genuinely helpful, compassionate anxiety help, for yourself, or someone you care about, this is the podcast for you. An award-winning podcast Well, hello anxiety is hosted by anxiety and well-being speaker, educator and bestselling author Dr Jodi Richardson. Through open and honest conversations Jodi and her guests share expertise, inspiration and practical strategies to finally get anxiety out of the way so you can live the life that's waiting for you.



For education and entertainment purposes only.

Anxiety happens. What happens next is what matters most. But where to start? And then what? And what if it's someone else you're trying to help? 'Well, hello anxiety' is the podcast where you'll learn answers to all of these questions and so much more. You'll finally see anxiety for what it really is, understand it, learn what the science says about settling it right down and how to help others as well. If you're looking for genuinely helpful, compassionate anxiety help, for yourself, or someone you care about, this is the podcast for you. An award-winning podcast Well, hello anxiety is hosted by anxiety and well-being speaker, educator and bestselling author Dr Jodi Richardson. Through open and honest conversations Jodi and her guests share expertise, inspiration and practical strategies to finally get anxiety out of the way so you can live the life that's waiting for you.
 
For education and entertainment purposes only.