How to Have a Fun Life
Everyone wants to enjoy life more, and oftentimes the key to enjoyment is fun. Having a fun life is about more than doing fun things and having adventures. You need to cultivate a mindset that embraces play, pleasure, and laughter. Work on...
Part 1 of 4:
Seeking Out Adventure
- Take vacations whenever you can. If you think you can't afford to get away, keep in mind vacations do not have to be costly. If you want a fun life, filled with adventure, taking regular vacations can help. Find ways to incorporate vacations into your schedule.[1]
- At the beginning of each year, start putting away money for a vacation. This way, you don't have to stress about costs, as the money will already be there.
- Do not just travel to popular places. Coastal cities, like New York, tend to cost more. Try looking for adventure in unconventional places that cater to your interests. For example, maybe you love mountains. Take a trip to a small, rural town in Colorado.
- Look for fun package deals, such as cruises. A cruise can offer a fun, relaxing vacation where you'll see a lot and also be able to unwind at a pool or a spa.
- Introduce people to new situations. This will make you a fun person to be around, adding a lot of fun to your life. Always encourage your friends and family members to try new things. Take the initiative to be the leader of a given group and encourage people to enjoy themselves.[2]
- Learn about the fun places in town. Find a cool dive bar no one else knows about. Look for a fun, affordable restaurant. Plan a night on the town with a group of friends, choosing the most entertaining places around.
- Encourage people to try new things. Convince a shy friend to try karaoke. Push a picky eater to try an unusual type of food. You will have more fun bringing those around you out of their shells.
- Make people feel comfortable around you. Do not judge people for loosening up. This will make people feel at ease, allowing everyone to have more fun.
- Stay open to new experiences. People who have a lot of fun tend to be open-minded. If you're afraid of new situations, you're likely to miss out on a lot sitting on the sidelines. Push yourself out of your comfort zone every day.[3]
- Strive to try one new thing every day. Some days, this may be something small. You may, for example, listen to a new band online. Other days, this may be something big, like going skydiving for the first time.
- Always take the opportunities that present themselves to you. If a co-worker asks you to go salsa dancing, go. If your cousin wants you to go mountain climbing with her, go. Even if you have reservations and fears about certain activities, what do you have to lose? If you don't have a great time, you'll at least have a story to tell that could make others laugh in the future.
- Explore nature attractions near you. Most areas have something to offer in terms of natural beauty. If you're itching for the adventure or a vacation, but you are short on time or money, explore the natural beauty of your area. You can have fun doing a simple weekend hike or camping trip.[4]
- Are there any national parks near you? If so, go see them. Are there beaches in your area? Go swimming one weekend. Are there popular hiking trails? Take a hike.
- Bring other people in on the adventure with you. Part of having a fun life is creating fun memories with those around you. Get a group together to do a weekend camping trip or a fun beach day.
Part 2 of 4:
Enjoying Daily Life
- Have fun at work. Work does not have to be boring. As you likely spend a great deal of your time at work, having fun at work is important to having a fun life overall.[5]
- Bond with your co-workers. Strive to be the person in the office who brings others positivity and joy. Create small routines to bring fun to the office. For example, you could try to bring in cookies every Wednesday, or buy a co-worker who looks tired a coffee.
- Decorate your workspace with things that make you happy. You can, for example, put up family photos, or pictures from a recent vacation, in your cubicle.
- Laugh at work. Joke around with co-workers. Talk about funny things you've seen and read. Laughing throughout the day can make work seem less tedious.
- Embrace fun in your romantic relationship. If you're in a relationship, make your romance a source of fun. You should always be looking for ways to have fun with your partner.
- Find an activity both you and your partner enjoy and make time for it. Fun can often fall to the wayside, so make sure you schedule a pocket of time during the week just to have fun together. Try playing a game you both like or watching a funny movie.
- Agree, ahead of time, that you will both loosen up. Allow yourselves to feel like kids again, and to laugh and be goofy. Agree to put any serious issues aside and simply enjoy one another's company engaging in a fun activity.
- If you're the competitive type, avoid competitions during your fun time. Instead, try doing something that involves teamwork. You could, for example, work on a puzzle together rather than compete in a board game.
- Make the most of alone time. Most of us spend at least some time alone. If you want to have a fun life, learn to embrace that time. You want to be able to look forward to a night spent alone as much as you look forward to going out with friends.[6]
- Eliminate distractions during your alone time. Try powering down electronics and simply enjoying some peace and quiet. Think of this as a way to recharge rather than feeling like you're isolating yourself.
- Embrace a solitary activity. Things like reading, writing, or artwork are often difficult to engage in with another person. Make the most of your alone time by practicing a solitary activity you enjoy.
- Try exploring nature alone. Many people love the solitude of nature. If you have a few hours to yourself after work, try taking a long walk alone.
- Enjoy your chores and errands. Try reframing the way you think about tedious tasks. Things like errands and chores may seem like a drag, but you can actually have fun being productive with the right mindset.[7]
- Think positive when you start a chore or errand. Do not think, "I have to do the dishes." Think, "Doing the dishes is a way of caring for my environment, and having a neat home will make me happy."
- Do not put off chores. You may come to dislike cleaning more if you let things pile up until people are on their way over. Work on doing a little cleaning every day. If chores don't feel unmanageable, you won't resent them so much.
- Find a way to add some fun to your work routine. Play some music while you do dishes or listen to a podcast. Dance while you're dusting the house. This can make chores feel more entertaining overall.
- Take time for small pleasures. Small pleasures should be savored. Give yourself small treats throughout the day. Have a piece of chocolate after returning an email. Watch a five minute video after a stressful work meeting. Make time for tiny breaks to indulge in small pleasures. Remember, fun does not have to constitute a big, planned event. Tiny pleasures can bring as much fun as more intense pursuits.[8]
- Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is a means of staying in the present moment and noticing your surroundings. Practicing mindfulness throughout the day can be a great way to have more fun, as you'll get more enjoyment out of life.[9]
- Start early. When you get up in the morning, you often begin to feel stress. Do not think about the day ahead. Focus on the sensations around you, the sight, smell, taste, and feel of all you experience.
- Apply mindfulness when walking, driving, or taking the train. Put away electronic devices and pay attention to the moment. Observe the scene. Take in the smells and sounds. Appreciate how your body feels, and pay attention to your movements.
Part 3 of 4:
Making Time for Play
- Block out time for play each day. Many people think of play as a childhood indulgence; however, play is how people unwind, learn new skills, and relax. Make play a priority by keeping it in your daily schedule.[10]
- Find a chunk of time to play. Look for times in the day where you're not doing much of anything. Maybe you find yourself mindlessly browsing the Internet between six and seven each night after dinner. You could use this time to play.
- Engage in a form of play you enjoy. You can play video games online for an hour, play a game on your mobile phone with a friend, or any other form of play you enjoy.
- Play games with others. Games can be a lot of fun, and spending time with people you like can add to their enjoyment. Find time to schedule game nights with your friends.[11]
- You can play physical games. Board games, card games, and things like charades can be a great way to pass the time. You can also play games like kickball, softball, or touch football. You could even invite friends over for a late-night game of flashlight tag.
- You can also play things like video games or computer games. Invite a group of friends over to play on your new game system, for example.
- Involve music in playful activities. Music can make you feel good and increase the amount of fun you have in your day-to-day life. Play music during the day. It can make average activities feel playful and fun.[12][13]
- Play music while you're doing things like cooking and cleaning. This may encourage you to move and dance a little as you do chores, making them feel more like a game than work.
- Dance. Even if you're not the world's greatest dancer, many people gain simple pleasure from dancing alone from time to time.
- Focus on playing just for fun. Games often spark a competitive side. You may also have a tendency to see games as a means to an end. You may want to become the best card player, or the best at baseball. While it's great to try to improve yourself, try to see play as enjoyable in and of itself. Focus on the joy you get over winning or losing.[14]
- Loosen up about criteria. Games always have ways to judge players, which can spark feelings of insecurity. Try to abandon these feelings when you play. Remember, the point is not to be the best. It's to have fun.
- Let go of fear. Many people struggle to enjoy games because of insecurity. Keep in mind that, when playing, everyone is putting themselves out there and acting a little out of character. No one will judge you for doing the same.
Part 4 of 4:
Cultivating the Right Mentality
- Do not worry about other people's opinions. Oftentimes, your capacity for fun is inhibited by insecurity. People believe that, at a certain age, they must be serious about life or others will judge them. Try to leave your inhibitions behind and embrace fun in your daily life.[15]
- Other people probably do not think about you as much as you believe. Most people are caught up in their own lives and priorities and will probably not judge you for having a capacity for fun and silliness.
- Remember that you can't actually control what other people think of you. You can do everything "right" and other people may still judge you. There's no point in trying to change your behavior to fit what you think others want you to do — they're going to think whatever they think, and you have no control over it. Focus on your own path, not what you think others want or expect from you.
- You do not want to impress people who are judgmental, anyway. It's in your benefit to seek out people who like you for you. If people judge you for making fun a central part of your life, do not worry about these people. They probably have insecurities they project onto others.
- Prioritize fun. Many people do not think of fun as an important part of life. Levity, humor, and play are vital to your emotional wellbeing; therefore, take no shame in making fun a priority.[16]
- Sometimes, you need to make time. Obligations of work, family, and other activities can often take up a lot of hours in a day. Work on scheduling a block of time each day to do something you genuinely enjoy.
- Do not think prioritizing fun is a form of laziness. Life entails a lot of pressure and hard work. Everyone is entitled to have fun, and you should feel no guilt making time for this.
- Have fun without spending money. Money is a major reason people struggle to have fun. People may think they need money to have fun. You may think, for example, you need to buy expensive sports equipment to join a sports league, or drop money on pricey electronics to watch a movie or listen to music. This is not the case, and overspending may create feelings of anxiety. Embrace cheap ways to have fun in your day-to-day life.[17]
- Have fun by being around people you enjoy. You don't have to spend a fortune having a group of friends over or getting a cup of coffee with your favorite co-worker.
- You can also look for cheap ways to have fun around your hometown. Maybe the local theater troupe puts on free shows in the park. Maybe a local museum allows visitors in for free some days.
- Allow for spontaneity. You do not have to plan fun. Many people get caught up in planning and scheduling fun activities. This may create more anxiety, and can lead to disappointment if things do not go as planned. Learn to embrace spontaneous moments, and let fun happen without trying to control it.[18][19]
- Try to be present in the moment. Enjoy what is happening around you, and allow conversations and laughter to happen on their own.
- Embrace spur of the moment activities. You may need to adjust your schedule slightly to take that last minute weekend trip with your friends, but it will be worth it for the fun you will have.
- Learn to laugh. In addition to making your life more fun, humor can help you better cope with stress and anxiety. Actively work on laughing more in your day to day life, and try to make those around you laugh as well.[20]
- You do not have to be a brilliant comedian to embrace laughter. Most people are capable of repeating jokes they hear and telling funny stories.
- Learn to laugh at yourself and the irony of life. Sometimes life does not go as planned, or unwanted things happen. Learn to find humor in the randomness of life and to laugh, pick yourself up, and move on. Those who are able to laugh at themselves tend to be more cheerful, optimistic, and resilient.[21]
- You can even try sharing funny content with others. Send a friend a funny YouTube video. Share a funny article on your Facebook page.
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