Having Fun

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In today’s episode, I’m discussing having fun and the impact it can have on our lives overall. George Bernard Shaw once said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.” Sometimes we do things that are fun, but our inside voice tells us that we should be doing something else, or something different, taking away from the actual fun. In this episode, I explain why fun is important, and I challenge you to add more to your days.

Topics in this episode

• Having fun provides balance
• Why we think we don’t have time for enjoyment
• Having an escape doesn’t necessarily mean the same as fun
• How it affects stress levels and hormones
• List of reasons why fun should be prioritized
• Why workouts are important for fun
• Plan for fun

Transcript

Having Fun – Transcript
Hello hello hello – what’s going on friends? How was your holiday weekend?
We had so much fun. We actually went to Boston to see Shear Madness –
we saw it years ago in NYC and loved it and it is different every day so if you are in an area that is showing it you should totally check it out.
Oh – and how about this crazy quick story – we stayed at a place kind of in the middle of our trip and as we closed the elevator door there was a sign about the elevator maybe getting stuck between floors 2 and 3 –
I thought we were totally fine since we were only going to 2 –
but the doors opened up and guess what – we were between floors!
Omg – I couldn’t stop laughing because my husband had just said do not take a picture of that sign until we are out and I was like – we will be fine -well – not exactly..lol..
It all worked out – we made it back to the ground floor
and never took the elevator again.
But it really has given us more fun parts to add to the story right? lol..
And fun is what I want to talk about today.
Fun as in enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure
I think it’s something that is a bit of a challenge for some of us to allow ourselves to do
I mean true fun
Where you really do enjoy it
I think sometimes we do things that are maybe fun on the outside – but inside we have the voice in our head that tells us we should be doing something more –
or something different
For me it used to be something like – I should be doing something more productive
lol… If I take a minute to think back I can even go back to school – I never really even enjoyed recess lol..
So having fun and enjoying fun
Can be some hard work for some of us..lol..
But truly – it may not seem as easy because we have guilt around it – telling ourselves we should be doing something different

Or – we don’t have the time to have fun – usually because we have allotted our precious time to take care of others needs.

For those of you who have been with me since the start you likely know – I used to think the best way to have fun was with some wine.
Some of you may be there now too – I mean listen – the days get crazy right?
You are running around being everything to everyone and at the end of the day you need something to take the anxiety away
So for some it may be wine –
for some Facebook –
it’s just a way to escape.
And think you are having fun
But then what happens?
The next day you are telling yourself you shouldn’t have had the extra glass or shouldn’t have spent the extra 10 minutes scrolling
So is it really fun?
Not really
What I want to talk about is truly having fun and being able to find more balance in your life
Because here’s the thing – when we can have more fun – more balance it helps with the over all stress levels as well
Now also keep in mind – fun can be different for everyone – so sometimes for fun I love to just read a great book –
or like this weekend –
we went to a play –
so it really is something that is enjoyable to you
I want to give you a couple of reasons why fun is important –
and I encourage you to begin prioritizing it on your calendar
Find some time and plan on it – when you plan it it is much more likely to happen
OK – so here is the first reason – Research shows that when we have fun with others, these experiences have a positive effect on building trust and developing communication.
Having fun gives us an opportunity to connect and be creative.

This can be with loved ones or even colleagues at work.
I see this showing up in my relationship with my husband.
Some of you gals may relate – I have to say – he helps to keep me grounded because I am usually the go go go one and he brings me back to taking some time to relax – or have fun
In the past I have thought – I don’t have time for this
But I have to tell you – now that I have started scheduling it it makes me so much more efficient with all the other things I want to do because it is on my calendar like any other appointment
And truly – taking the time to connect with loved ones is so important …
especially after 20 years of being together if you know what I mean…
As far as the work part – I love to ask myself how can I make this fun?
Because once it is fun it goes much faster – I am overall more productive and it opens my brain up to some creativity
Plus – it beats the alternative of just complaining about things – try it out – how can I make this fun?
Next reason to have fun –
Fun might make you smarter
A British study following 17,000 people born in 1970 — found that reading for fun improves our language skills, and more surprisingly our proficiency in math as well. It appears that fun activities that introduce us to new ideas and concepts foster self-directed learning. This makes sense right – I mean I even think about travel for example – I look back at my history education – yikes – it for sure was not my strong suit But I see parents taking kids to different travel locations and I think that is the best learning – you can have fun and as you learn and the memories are just that much more solid because you have multiple senses involved in the learning And of course an obvious reason to schedule fun is stress reduction. You know what they say – laughter is the best medicine It has been recognized in several studies that spontaneous laughter has a stress-buffering effect that helps us better cope with stress.
This makes me think about when parents are yelling at their kids and all of a sudden the kid does or says something that just makes you crack up You can’t help but laugh Think about how the entire energy of the room changes There is something to it for sure Another reason to have fun – Finding more fun I physical activity balances your hormone levels You guys know – I am all about my Peloton workouts They are so much fun and I believe – for me – having fun in my workouts truly helps to keep the routine going And – It has been well-established that high-stress levels negatively influence our hormones and neurotransmitters – especially cortisol. And it also affects our endocrine, metabolic and immune functions as well as our mood – and that is true for both genders. If you can find a fun way to be consistent in your physical activity you are much more likely to balance all of those hormones. I always say for me – the workouts keeps the crazy low – I can totally see the difference if I don’t get in a great workout And let me tell you – it is not selfish of me to take the consistent time to do the workouts because everyone around me benefits when I do..lol.. if you know what I mean I actually used to work with a guy who would call me out on it – he would be like – you didn’t get your run in today did you? loil.. I was like – WHAT DO YOU MEAN??? lol.. So if you are thinking at any level you do not have the time to invest in your physical health consider it your mental state of begin as well and a gift to everyone around you..lol.. And the last reason I will share with you today to have fun – it can make you more energetic and youthful. Stress is draining — it can suck the life out of us, It makes us tired and cranky.
When we effectively reduce our stress levels, this can often provide us with a new boost of vitality. Play is not just for kids I want to challenge you today to begin implementing more fun in your calendar It might seem odd at first – plan to have fun? If you have to plan it is is fun? It is! It’s so much fun because I have allowed my brain to go there – so I don’t have to think about any other distractions. Think about it as you would any meeting with an important CEO Because you are that my friend – the most important CEO of your life Start treating yourself like that and watch everything around you change And I will leave you with one quote to keep in mind as you go about your day – George Bernard Shaw famously said: We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
We have a lot of things in this life to still do – let’s make sure having fun is one of them
OK – that’s what I have for you today
I hope you have a fun filled week – let’s circle back next week but for now – make it a great day – take care!