Hi!
Did you notice the acronym in the subject line?
Frequently
Useful
Necessity
What could I possibly be talking about? FUN. Fun!
Fun – whatever that means to you – is the free, zero calorie, nonpharmacologic cure for a great deal of what we don’t like about adulting. If that’s true, why don’t we make time for it more often? Because, when I say “fun” you think:
What am I NOT doing if I’m doing something fun? – Loss
What’s fun? How am I supposed to do THAT? Don’t I have enough to do? – Distrust
I’ll feel (or look stupid), it will take too long – Discomfort
I get that. All change is hard – even when it’s just a quick shift in your mindset about the next couple of minutes.
Even if you don’t totally trust fun, will you trust me just for a moment?
Will you take five minutes today (just five!) for yourself, to have that feeling of fun? If nothing comes to mind, don’t worry – a LOT of adults (60% in a large study) say that they “can’t have fun in the day-to-day of life.”
But research also shows that fun improves memory, cognition, relationships, creativity – and reduces the negative impact of stress on your mind and body. You’re just looking for something that is amusing, entertaining or enjoyable TO YOU. To reset your brain chemistry, to reduce your cortisol and up your dopamine, and to remind you what is excellent about being a person in the world.
How?
Kinetic fun:
- Go down a slide
- Ride a swing for a few minutes
- Get on wheels and take (safely please) to an open road – on a skateboard or e-bike or in a car or on roller blades or…
- Get on water – a kayak or a boat or sit on a dock or a floatie
- Color a picture or doodle
- Dance!
Visual fun:
- Look at art that makes you feel great
- Watch a comedian or anything that reliably makes you laugh
- Watch a video of someone doing something well that you find satisfying – from skiing to knitting to cake decorating or anything else
Aural fun:
- Put on your favorite song ever and maybe even sing along
- Listen to a book you love
- Listen to your favorite scene from a movie
- Check out a famous person you admire giving an interview
Sensory fun:
- Have an orgasm (what?!?! Yup. It’s chemical, valuable and healthy)
- Pet an animal
- Immerse your hands in a texture that feels great
- Go to a store of fabrics or tools or toys or cooking utensils or anything you love to have in your hands
- Stand somewhere with smells and a view and temperature that feels right to you (a mountaintop or your bathtub or anywhere in between)
Did you think of one or pick one? Comment and let me know.
Fun IS a frequently useful necessity in your life. Try it?
All my best,
Dr. G
