The other night I went to a dinner and dance that was a blast! It was a fundraiser. You’re probably thinking, a fundraiser that was fun? This woman’s really exciting. I can hear the sarcasm dripping off that remark!
No really, it was a lot of fun. The theme was the Beatles. Lots of people dressed up as members of Sargent Pepper’s Heart Club Band or donned some funky psychedelic frocks. The band played all Beatles tunes and we danced, danced, and danced some more.
It got me thinking about fun and opportunities in our lives for it. Do they just come about, or is there a place for us actively creating it in our lives?
The more serious part of you may be saying, “I don’t have time! I work long hours, I come home and have to do a lot of chores before I fall into bed and start all over again. Fun’s just a dream lady!”
Now I’m being serious. Play, fun, adventure, excitement, laughter, and enthusiasm are important!!!
In previous blogs, I’ve written about the benefits of laughter: Ho ho ho: Bring it on Chuckles! and Psychology humour.
Fun can help us recharge our batteries, think more clearly, re-connect with friends and loved ones, can give us the energy to go back to work with enthusiasm, and get those chores done with verve.
For some ideas of de-stressing, go to my blog, Stress Be Gone.
Okay, we all know talking about it isn’t doing it. How do you have fun?
I want you to take a moment to relax. Get comfortable in your chair and try to loosen any tension out of your body by focusing on it and breathing the tension out through your breath.
Close your eyes. I want you to imagine someone you know that seems to have a lot of fun. Think about something they’ve done that they told you about or that you’ve seen them do. I want you to picture it in your mind. What are they doing? Are they doing it with anyone? Where are they? Imagine you can see through their eyes. What do you see? What do you hear going on? What’s happening that’s making this so incredibly fun?
Now picture them doing something else. How must it feel to be doing something so totally fun-filled?
That’s all you need to start creating it in your own life. Really! Seeing is believing–and believing on a daily basis seems to open up opportunities for fun. Does it sound like the law of attraction?
Suppose you could start making fun a part of your regular life. What’s something small that you could do? What else could you do? Be as specific as you can.
I know for myself that sometimes I have to push myself to follow through. If I’ve planned to do something in the evening, I know that I may end of feeling like staying at home and relaxing instead because I might be tired. There are certainly times when that’s the right thing to do.
But there are other times when I push myself a little to get out there and have fun. And when I do—as I did when I went to the Beatles party—I’m really glad that I did.
Having fun isn’t a one time thing–or something you should do only once in a blue moon. Remember—having fun has lots of benefits for your mental health. Make it a priority and you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes in your life!
