The Importance of Fun

In a world where money and productivity are the main way we define purpose and success, it becomes particularly important to understand how to nourish and take care of ourselves, physically and emotionally. Without an awareness of our needs, as well as the skills to create balance in our lives, then burnout and overwhelm become a predictable outcome. For such a big task, I wish I could offer one easy solution. I cannot. However, one small baby step we might be able to take is to simply look for the fun in the things we undertake.

For the socially anxious person who is nervous (or perhaps even terrified) of making that phone call, in what way can you find the fun in that interaction? To the parents who do not see themselves as playful and avoid playtime like the plague, can you find your own unique way of having fun within the game? How can both parent and child enjoy themselves in that moment together? From the tedious home chores to the hobbies that turned into obligations, how can we find or create our own little moments of contentment in the muck?

Let’s get serious about having fun.

As contradictory as that sounds, if we make it our duty and responsibility to find the fun in as many aspects of our lives as we can, we unlock a sliver of inner peace and a form of personal empowerment. We envy little children for their inner freedom and ability to experience joy without constraints, and yet this same way of perceiving life is available to us as we get older too. Somewhere along the way, we lose our sense of wonder and our natural tendency to search for amusement in all things. Perhaps it’s from the onslaught of negativity online, the atrocities happening all across the globe or the reality of the harshness and lack of safety in the world. Sometimes life gets hard in a million different ways. I think that’s inevitable. Unfortunately, it’s something you can count on. Therefore, I don’t see a need for us to add additional suffering onto our psyches, since life eventually does a good job of it as it is. I think it takes courage to be a friend to ourselves, to decide with complete certainty that we deserve to rest and have fun. I think it takes a strong person to be dedicated and accountable for creating the balance of joy within ourselves.

Maybe it feels foolish to focus on having fun. As teens, there’s a tendency to do so irresponsibly. Some of us party too much. We intentionally or unintentionally hurt people in the name of fun. We maybe find ourselves in scary or unsafe situations in our quest for fun. Seeking out fun in tandem with responsibility gives nutrients to our soul the same way responsible food choices nourish our bodies. Fun aligned with our values, fun with a purpose, fun with good intentions, fun in connection with others… these are things to look for every single day.

Having fun is an investment.

Finding the fun sounds too simple. Maybe we’re afraid of toxic positivity or spiritually bypassing the very real traumas one can face in a lifetime. I wouldn’t recommend closing your eyes to your emotions or to the realities of the world. Being aware and informed is very important. I am simply advocating for an increase of joyful moments in our hearts and an increase in actively seeking them out, in the daily grind. We can make it a priority to balance out the yuck with a triumphant joie de vivre. We can become the homes we run to for comfort. We can be our own light at the end of the tunnel. We can have our own personal experience of joy wherever we are and whoever we are with.

Finding the fun at work. Looking for the fun in stressful social gatherings. Fun alongside parenting. Fun alongside projects. Fun alongside education. Fun alongside leadership roles. Fun in the way we build community. I can see the potential of a society that wholeheartedly prioritizes fun and joy, and it is an investment worth making in my eyes. However, we don’t start with the collective. We start with us. We must start at home. We start by really paying attention to what makes us content, what makes us feel alive. And the stuff that grinds away at us… the things, people and environments that take little bits away from our joy… we don’t have to get rid of them completely, necessarily, but perhaps they are deliberately demoted in priority. They intentionally take up less of our attention. We continue to respectfully attend to them as needed, but our eyes, ears and minds are actively taking notice elsewhere, as soon as they can. We customize our social media and our day-to-day lives in a way that invites more joy in and better serves our needs.

Have fun on your journey to finding the fun!

Take good care of yourselves.