In our hurried, hyper-focused lives, we often forget the simple pleasure of having fun. As adults, we can become so caught up in our responsibilities and routines that we lose sight of the carefree joy we once knew as children. This post explores the importance of embracing more lighthearted moments allowing them to rejuvenate our spirits, improve our well-being, and remind us of the beauty in life’s simple pleasures.
So much of what I write about is inspired by events in my personal life. Why? Because there is nothing exceptionally unique about these events – most people experience similar events in their own lives.
What is Fun Anyway?
So let’s talk about fun. What exactly does that mean? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, fun is defined as “enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure.”
Some people know how to enjoy fun better than others. Much as I love to have fun, I happen to have to work at it much of the time. I tend to be super intense and focused a bit too much. However, my oldest son was the perfect example of enjoying life when he was young.
I remember taking the 2 boys out for a bike ride. At the time, they were much too young to ride on the bike path without me by their side. The younger brother liked to see how fast he could get from one spot to the next – pedaling as fast as his legs could go, often looking back to make sure Mom was coming. On the other hand, my oldest son was pedaling so slowly, I often wondered how the bike stayed upright, but he was busy looking at butterflies and flowers.
I distinctly remember one time he stopped, then pointed and said, “Look mommy, a bunny!” with such innocent excitement. I’d like to say I became ashamed of my hurried mindset and took a moment to enjoy the bunny with my son, but instead I rushed him off to go and catch up with his brother. If I only knew then what I know now…
How to Have More Fun
When was the last time you had genuine fun? Recently, I almost bailed on plans with friends, tempted by a quiet night at home. But I stuck to my commitment and showed up. Turns out, it was the best decision. We laughed, danced, and indulged in ice cream, simply enjoying the moment. Heading home, I felt lighter and happier, realizing how therapeutic fun can be. It was a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most rewarding experiences happen when we choose to step out and embrace some light-hearted fun.
So much of our daily grind can be heavy, boring, and intense, so we need to be intentional about taking a break from that and focusing on having fun!
How do you invite more fun into your life? Here are a few ideas to help you overcome your routines and have more fun.
Try Something New
Google is your new best friend here. A dance class, sporting club, book club, crafting group. A little line dancing (and sometimes zumba) gets lots of giggles and some big belly laughs from this girl. Oh my, it is so much fun and I’m not good at all – here’s a hint -> that’s part of what makes it so fun.
Have a Game Night
Invite a few friends over and play games. Here are some of our favorites: all kinds of card games, mexican train, charades, bananagrams, Farkle, Phase10 or exploding kittens. And don’t make this more complicated by worrying about the condition of your home, your friends know if you are not the world’s greatest housekeeper and they will be happy to just spend time with you.
A Comedy Show
Go to a clean comedy show – or find one on Netflix. For me, fun and laughing go hand in hand. If I can make an excuse to get in some extra laughs I’m all in. I absolutely love to laugh. Here are some family friendly options on YouTube:
Reconnect with Something You Enjoy
Activities like sports, crafts, dancing – find a local group and go with a friend. At the very least, you will likely laugh an awful lot! I’ve actually got goat yoga on my list. Yes, it’s really a thing and I want to go with my sister because I think we will be laughing far more than yoga-ing!
Schedule it
Too many times I simply don’t feel like it. It can vary. It is usually less about what the event is and more about me just wanting to be lazy in a moment. When something is scheduled (with another person, that part is key) and I have to show up, I am always happy about it afterward.
In general, my husband is much better at having fun in the midst of little things, and I am fortunate enough to get in lots of extra laughs because of it. He creates fun in the midst of boring everyday events. While I get frustrated with long delays and lines at the airport, he will look around and find amusing things to observe around us.
Embrace your creative side and make up a game – we had a season in our family where we played “Yellow Car”. Yeah, I know, really creative name there. Haha. Anyway, it was as simple as spotting a yellow car on the road and you got to punch another person in the arm while shouting “yellow car”. And yes, it’s a modern take on the old VW Bug game. 😉 We quickly learned that this game is way more fun and challenging up north than it is here in Florida. Yellow cars are not very common in NJ. In FL, they are about as common as the gators.
If you aren’t yet convinced that you should have more fun, here are some added benefits of having fun:
- Reduces stress
- Improves sleep
- Improves mood
- Supports better relationships & stronger connections
- Improves social skills
- Improves memory
- Boosts creativity
So we’ve learned some benefits of having fun and have a list of ideas….now what are you going to do this week to add more fun into your life?