Bringing Fun Into Everything You Do
There are several questions in life that drive me a bit batty. One of them is “what do you do for fun?” It took me a long time to be able to answer this and not feel like I was doing something wrong.
You see, I try to have fun in pretty much everything I do, so I rarely feel the need to separate “fun” from the rest of my life.
I have fun when I’m working. I have fun when I’m doing chores around the house. I have fun when I’m doing nothing.
Granted, it wasn’t always this way. I had to learn to integrate fun into my work and life, and not keep it as a separate “fun time.”
I get it. Internally, life can feel overly structured, predictable and monotonous. Externally, we’re dealing with what feels like endless stressors - systemic oppression, political unrest, coronavirus, financial challenges, educating our youth, the list goes on and on. When all the internal stressors are coupled with external stressors, we are worn thin.
So now, more than ever, it’s important to remind ourselves to be intentional about incorporating fun into our lives and work. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Change up your routine
While habits can be helpful to keep us moving in the direction we want our lives to go - daily exercise, personal and professional development, meditation, healthy eating, etc. - they can also lead to feelings of “stuckness” and boredom.
It’s absolutely okay, and even encouraged, to spice up your routine from time to time.
Consider peppering in some of the following ideas to give your routine a spark of enjoyment, and dare I say… fun!
Have breakfast in a different place. Do you normally eat on the go? Sit in the same chair every day while reading the morning news? Mix it up. Sit on your porch. Eat with the good dishes at the dining room table. Set a date for breakfast with a friend or loved one. Starting your day by making an intentional change with your morning meal can set the tone for the entire day ahead.
Switch the station. Are you an NPR or MSNBC junkie? Try switching it off and listening to music. Streaming the same playlist over and over? Try a new channel. Love your tried and true podcasts? Branch out and see if you can find something else to listen to once a week. By giving your brain something new to process often creates more feelings of spaciousness and openness.
Treat yourself. If you are someone who sticks to your list when you shop, give yourself the permission to splurge. Get a bouquet of flowers to set on your desk. Try out a new hand lotion you’ve been eyeing. Pick up a croissant from the French bakery new your office. Occasionally asking yourself what would feel good and allowing for that splurge can add spark and joy to your day.
Be in the moment
Our brains usually have us focusing on the future or on the past. It’s rare that we’re able to be right here, right now, in this moment. Intentionally feeling and noticing what’s happening in the present moment allows us to naturally feel more joy and allow in more fun.
When you step outside of doing mode, and step into being mode, it’s easier to find pleasure in the little things: the sun on your face, the feel and taste of cold water on a hot day, the scent of the flowers or the fresh rain, the sound of laughter.
By simply noticing what is happening in your present moment and allowing these simple sensations into your awareness allows you to start to reconnect with what pleasure and fun feel like. Once you get reacquainted with them, it’s easier to invite them in on a regular basis.
Say “Yes” when you mean “Yes”
Very often, we end up saying “No” to things we really want to say “Yes” to, and vice versa. Our brains are working extra hard to keep us safe, and in the process, we end up losing the ability to say “Yes” to things that will invite in more fun and pleasure into our lives.
What would it be like to say “Yes” to something you’ve been wanting to do? Whether it’s heading to the beach in the middle of the work day, or playing with your kids when you’re trying to get dinner on the table, or having sex mid-week.
When you learn to allow yourself to say “Yes” to those things, you start to create new muscle memories for your body and brain, which in turn, invite more pleasure and fun into your life on a regular basis.
Be more spontaneous
I know this one can be really hard, especially for us planners out there. And yet, spontaneity can help reduce stress, improve the sharpness of your mind, and allows for more relaxed and uninhabited feelings. Being spontaneous helps you learn that no matter what happens next, you can deal with it.
Here are some ways to start adding spontaneity into your life and work:
Pencil it in. I know it sound weird to calendar spontaneity, but when you’re learning how to be more spontaneous, it can help your brain release some of the overthinking it tends to do. Give yourself some time and space - every day, once a week - to be a little impulsive and do whatever you want. The trick here is to not plan what it is you’re going to do during that time. Simply quiet your mind by taking a few breaths and ask yourself “What would I really like to do right now?” At first, it’s totally normal to spend the entire time not knowing what to do. But, with practice, you will start to be able to hear what your inner self is asking for. And, now you have the time to let it have what it’s craving.
Break the rules. It’s ok to be a little “naughty” sometimes. Skip class, take a sick day when you’re not sick, watch too much TV, eat too much chocolate. Overindulging every now and then is healthy for all of us. It gives us the break we need to return to consistency with renewed commitment and excitement.
Get inspired. It’s okay to see what others do when they’re being spontaneous. Read some blogs on spontaneity, Check out some improv comedians. Watch YouTube videos by improv artists (one of my favorites is Rapid Fire Theater).
Daydream
I often hear people saying what a waste of time and unproductive daydreaming is. However, daydreaming is your mind’s way of sending yourself a message.
Daydreaming not only boosts your creativity and problem-solving skills, but it also helps you concentrate and focus on a specific task. It helps your mind wander to thoughts and areas that it might not wander if you had not set aside time for daydreaming. Like meditation or restful activities, daydreaming acts a natural remedy to alleviate stress and anxiety.
Find a space where you can be comfortable to allow yourself to let go. It may be your favorite chair, turning to stare out the window, or sitting on your back porch. Make sure all distractions have been removed - your phone is silenced or put away, your computer isn’t in sight, your children are attended to
Give your brain a little bit of direction to allow it to most effectively daydream. Without such direction, your mind wanders over to to-do lists, financial challenges, and problems of the world, removing all fun from the process.
Try imagining all the things that would make you happy and put them into a story. Let yourself imagine your life as you'd like it to turn out. Play out your future as you see it unfolding, giving yourself total freedom to indulge your fantasies. Or, think of a product or service you would like to introduce and figure out what would make it better and how you could achieve that.
If you are feeling bored, frustrated or anxious, or if you want to expand your imagination and creativity, allowing in more fun and pleasure into your day will start to open new possibilities for you in ways you could never imagine.
What ways do you like to invite more fun and pleasure into your life and work? Leave me a comment below or drop me an email with your thoughts.
