Whimsy has become an internet phenomenon in the year of 2026 – and for good reason! The concept of whimsy has helped bring joy and fun into small moments during day-to-day life. From adding sprinkles to a coffee to getting lost on purpose, whimsy is how a lot of people are intentionally slowing down and being silly in a capitalistic society where hustling and conformity is the norm.
In Residence Life, we are often in the midst of crisis situations and a whole lot of stress. The term “overworked and underpaid” gets thrown around a lot. Adding whimsy into your day will not change a toxic workplace nor will it stop you from experiencing stress from the job. However, joy building through whimsy can be a form of resistance in a world that wants to keep us tired, overworked, and underpaid.
Here are 25 ideas to add whimsy into your workday:
- Make a playlist for your workday or utilize spotify daylists
- Change up your work location – work from a hammock if able one day or from a cafe on campus
- Personalize your desktop background seasonally or monthly
- Hand write thank you notes or graduation cards
- Make your to-do list with sparkly gel pens
- Add fairy lights to your office and work by fairy light on a stormy day
- Wear a monochrome outfit on a random Tuesday
- Make time for fun-on-ones each semester (where you do something FUN with each of the people you supervise – their choice)
- Add a plant and/or some crystals to your office (I recommend amethyst for calming energy or clear quartz for healing energy).
- Keep a sleeve of your favorite cookies in your desk
- Handwrite labels for your drawers/cabinets (maybe on your favorite color paper, with flower or heart stickers)
- Schedule 5 minutes to sit in silence
- Schedule 5 minutes to stand up and stretch a couple times each day
- Add a scent diffuser to your space – change the scent based on the season (floral for spring, cinnamon spice for fall!)
- Dress up in your favorite outfit with as many accessories as possible (hello rings, belts, necklaces galore!)
- Make a joy jar and keep it on your desk (write down moments from each day that bring you joy on a slip a paper and add it to your jar. Read on tough days and refresh yearly or semesterly!)
- Make art on post-it notes during long meetings or trainings and gift to your co-workers after
- Set your phone on the opposite side of the room to try to decrease screen time
- Take the long, scenic route to your next meeting
- Take a walk and try to identify something in every color of the rainbow
- Unplug *completely* during your lunch break
- Plan a new tradition to do with your team
- Handmake your supervisees door decs
- Pick a theme for the year and stick with it! (Mine was a farmers market theme complete with jam door decorations and farmers market stand get-to-know you boards)
- Have a theme day of Whimsy Wednesday during your pro-staff or student staff training (think sparkles, buttons, accessories – whimsy is in the eye of the beholder!)
