Having fun can get a bad rap. In fact, there is an old fable that epitomized our point. It’s called The Grasshopper and the Ant. In it, the grasshopper spends the summer singing while the ant stores up food for the winter. Once the winter comes, the grasshopper is hungry and begs for food from the ant who refuses him and tells him to sing away this winter as well. Ok, let’s be clear here. We get the moral of the story; you should plan for your future and not spend all your time singing. However, this fable translates into an attitude that many people carry today. Fun is perceived as being unproductive, selfish or silly.
When we are stressed or overwhelmed with life, we can often forgo on having fun thinking that we don’t have time for it. However, by giving up fun, most people are ultimately stealing their energy from themselves. Because having fun gives you more energy than it takes away. To live a fully healthy life we need to incorporate a balance of work, leisure, fun, and activity. Each of these needs to hold significance in our lives so that we are not overworked or under-rested.
So if you recognize that you may not be giving fun the time that it needs in your life; here are some suggestions on how to start having more fun.
Plan
For some of you, your lives are so scheduled that to have fun you will need to schedule it in. Which is great! Give yourself a good chunk of time that will allow you to enjoy the activity, but also not stress you out by taking away too much time from other obligations
Bring a Friend
Sometimes having fun can be as easy as spending time with a good friend. Call up one that you haven’t seen for awhile and do something fun! Maybe go for a hike or play a game. Do something that is fun for both of you.
