You may not realize it but you just may be out of balance…on the fun scale of life!
Play for children is fine, however our society tends to look down on play for adults unless it is competitive play. Anything else may be seen as petty, unproductive or even a guilty pleasure. We are adults. It’s time to be serious, right?
According to the World of Psychology on the psychcentral.com website, play brings joy. And it’s vital for problem solving, creativity and relationships. Play can even facilitate deep connections between strangers and cultivate healing.
Many people think that they have fun infused in their lives but when it comes down to it, they really don’t…or they don’t have much at all.
So how do you know if you are off balance?
Just look at your time. What do you do all day? If it is all chores, work and taking care of others then you are definitely NOT getting enough fun in your day.
You need to schedule in fun time same as you would schedule in any other appointment.
One way to start this process of putting more fun into your life is to write a list of 25 things you enjoy. You may struggle with this a bit especially if you have not been having fun lately and may have forgotten the things that you used to love doing that you have put to the wayside.
Be present while you do this exercise. Don’t be thinking about the laundry you have to get done or the next project at work. Take a moment and ground yourself and really think about what you enjoy and what makes you happy.
Happiness is a huge proponent of fun. If you are not happy doing a “fun” activity then let’s be honest…you really are not having fun. You need to be doing things that YOU enjoy, not that others enjoy or that others think YOU should enjoy.
Start slow. You don’t want to overload yourself. Pick up a new hobby that you think would be interesting. Take a small weekend trip somewhere and relax. Turn off the electronics (phone, Ipad, laptop) and just relax and enjoy yourself. Go for a walk, take in nature, sleep in if your body craves it.
If your life is centered around making everyone else happy you are going to have to change that. You know the saying about putting your own oxygen mask on first before you help others? Same applies here. You need to be living your life….REALLY living your life and enjoying it each day in order to be able to spread that happiness to others and not turn into a robot that just does things because they think they have to or they want to please others. That is no way to live.
Next time I am going to share with you some ways to infuse more fun into your day (so you can get some ideas that you may not have come up with otherwise). I always find that when I see a list of ideas it sparks new ones for me so I tend to share that way as well.
Now get started on your list of 25 things you enjoy and start having fun!
