Whenever we get caught up in our everyday routines and obligations, and the often serious matters we have to contend with on a regular basis, it can seem impractical – or even kind of silly – to think about looking for opportunities to have fun each day.
Ultimately, though, whether it’s via getting some funny and upbeat back to school shirts for your kids (or yourself), taking up particular outdoor pastimes, or even just looking for moments of humor in everyday life, there are some very real benefits to finding ways to have a bit of fun every day.
Here are just a few reasons why it’s important to have a bit of fun every day.
To bring your attention back to the present moment
Generally speaking, when you’re engaging in a fun pursuit or pastime, your attention will tend to return to the present moment, and you won’t be so caught up in your own thoughts, concerns, and ruminations as you otherwise would.
As human beings, we all need to routinely return our attention to the present moment at regular intervals, in order to feel grounded, and to prevent ourselves from being overly caught up in our own thought loops, and their often-negative implications.
In fact, engaging in activities and pastimes that you find fun tends to be a good way of getting into what psychologists refer to as a “flow state,” where – among other things – your attention and awareness become quite present, and your normal sense of self merges with the task at hand.
To keep your general outlook pointed a bit more towards the positive
In life, there are – unfortunately – always going to be awful and unwelcome things that occur, or that are in the periphery.
Ultimately, though, the only way to maintain a generally good level of well-being is to take steps to keep your awareness and your focus tilted a bit more towards the positive than the negative, on a regular basis.
Looking for opportunities to have a bit of fun each day is just one of the ways that you can help to keep your general outlook tilted a bit more towards the positive.
To benefit from the soothing power of a good laugh
Laughter can be a great thing for relieving stress, helping to distract you from the frustrations and disappointments that you may be dealing with, and helping you to feel a bit more soothed and rejuvenated in general.
Laughter tends to go along with a spirit of play, and with those moments where we are having a bit of fun and allowing ourselves to feel less absorbed in whatever it is that is stressing us at the moment.
Even apart from laughter, though, having some fun is – and of itself – a great way of helping to put yourself in a situation where you feel a bit more balanced and relaxed overall, even if just for a little while.