Are we having fun?

Having fun is not a diversion from a successful life; it is the pathway to it. – Martha Beck

When's the last time you had fun, either at work or in your personal life? If you’re like most professionals these days, fun hasn’t been front and center in your agenda. Since the pandemic set in, having fun seems to have escaped us as a society. With so many months spent in lock-down and being distanced from our lives as we knew them, our priories shifted. Many of us went into survival mode and focused on work and the wellbeing of our immediate families.

During the bleak weeks and months of the last two years – think political strife, social justice issues, and financial stress – it was often hard to think about fun when so many people around us were losing jobs, trying to survive the stress of day-to-day life, and dealing with sickness and death. For many, fun became something we used to do when our lives involved more socializing, and we frequented offices, school, gyms, restaurants, movies, and concerts.

As we move into a post-pandemic phase (hopefully, we are there!), perhaps it’s time to reinsert fun into our lives. Fun is a great counter to the burdens we often face in life, and gives us much needed moments of respite, which helps us to tackle the daily craziness with good cheer. And if you’re life tends to be packed and spontaneous fun is unlikely, then schedule it into the days and weeks ahead the way you would any critical appointment.

Why does fun matter? When chemical messengers tied to pleasure course our veins, we feel a surge of positive emotion, which boosts our creativity, helps us to learn better, and makes us more resilient. After a day or night of having fun, you just may feel like you can conquer anything. Considering how rushed, tired, and burnt-out society seems right now, perhaps fun is what we need to shift our energy, recharge, and delight in the joy all around us.

When it comes to fun, keep in mind that there’s no one-size-fits-all. Fun is in the eye of the beholder, which makes it difficult to plan unless you know what fun looks like for you and those you wish to include in your plans. While fun for some may be playing video games, for others fun may be dancing, attending concerts, bowling, comedy clubs, hiking, doing puzzles, or going for a long drive in the country. You may need to experiment a bit to discover what constitutes fun for you and your friends and loved ones. Sometimes trying new things also brings its own dose of fun. Something as simple as taking music lessons for a new instrument or trying a new restaurant can be fun. No matter what you choose, fun should be freeing and engaging – i.e., if you are thinking about work or feeling guilty while you’re having fun, you may need to find another activity.

Once you determine what fun looks like for you, schedule it! You can plan for solitary fun (cooking, reading a book, going for a run) and also social fun, which includes others (tennis, dinner, a hike). A key element of having fun is that you don’t have expectations. When you’re having fun, time passes without you noticing; you are immersed in the right now of life. Think free play and no worries. Think merriment and entertainment. Most importantly, remember that fun isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity that promotes a well-balanced and healthy life.