3 Strategies For Having – And Being – More Fun

Have More Fun

Do people tell you you’re no fun? Do you wish you could relax and enjoy yourself more?

After working in large financial institutions for over a decade, I became very serious and forgot how to have fun. It was a career choice so diametrically opposed to my personality that an organizational psych once asked, ‘How have you not had a nervous breakdown?’ (they used that term in those days).

I chose a different path after that, but it took a long time to get my feeling-groovy groove back.

Here are 3 strategies for having, and being, more fun that I learned along the way.

3 Strategies For Having And Being More Fun

1. Make Work Fun

I suffered hundreds of angst-ridden hours at my desk before I realized that just because I was working, I didn’t have to be miserable. D’oh.

Now when I work, I:

  • Wear comfortable clothes so I can sit cross-legged, which feels good to me
  • Listen to music – and stop, turn up the volume and sing along every now and then
  • Burn candles or incense
  • Have a lovely painting by my artist-friend on my desk
  • Have an orchid on my windowsill
  • Drink coffee from my favorite mug.

Not quite a wild rave, perhaps, but it sure makes it nicer to sit at my desk and be productive.

--> What can you do to make work more pleasurable for yourself?

2. Lower Your Laughter Threshold

Another un-fun habit I developed in my corporate years was to have very high expectations for everything – including comedy. My lip would barely twitch unless the sitcom antics, rom-com witticisms or friends’ comedy stylings reached dizzying standards of hilarity. Needless to say, not a lot of laughs came my way.

Then I learned, by observing a wise and fun-loving relative, that simply by showing up with a smile on my face and a readiness to be amused, I could laugh quite easily.

When I think of all the chuckles, chortles and guffaws I’d have missed if I’d kept my humor standards so high – well, it makes me laugh.

--> Could you have more fun by lowering your laughter threshold?

3. Be Child-like

This is my favorite.

In my corporate life I felt I should be all-grown-up 24-7, which was obscenely boring and utterly exhausting. When I left, I couldn’t wait to rediscover my inner Bart. I’ve since incorporated into my life a strict regime of child-likeness in many and varied forms.

These include:

  • Dressing for fun – I happily wear pink clothes, sparkles, thigh boots, funky jewelry, faux fur, and metallic blue nail polish.
  • Car dancing – if there’s a good beat on the car stereo, I will dance to it. I’ve even developed some special, patented car moves. 🙂
  • Being immature – which includes singing and dancing along to Glee, trampolining with my nieces, and giving names to my household appliances.

--> Would being a little child-like help you enjoy life more?

A Caveat

One caveat though – fun is a personal thing.

The trick to getting more fun into your life is to open yourself up to what you think might be fun. For me it might be cryptic crosswords or watching The Wire again; for you it could be strip chess or facial yoga.

Just by putting fun on your radar though, you’ll start to notice things that could be fun.

When you do – try them. And if they feel good, keep doing them.

Before you know it, you’ll be having fun.

[Image by a4gpa]

Michele | Get Organized Gal

Michele is into writing, books, simplicity, love, TV, productivity, and staying thin in a world of chocolate.

19 thoughts on “3 Strategies For Having – And Being – More Fun”

  1. Michele Connolly says:

    @Dee: I think once you become aware that your sense of fun has suffered, you’re already on the way to getting it back. You start noticing non-fun choices and reactions – and then you can choose different ones!

    Reply
  2. Dee says:

    Great advice, I just retired from the military and somehow feel like my fun has been zapped from me. I can definitely understand how Christine feels. I’m working on finding that fun gal within… will definitely try your tactics…

    Reply
  4. Christine says:

    Thanks for posting this! I think this is exactly what I need in my life. It all started when I was in high school (over 11 years ago) because I always looked so young and nobody ever took me seriously. So I figured… if I act serious and grow up a bit more, then people will take me serious. Boy was I wrong. I was a kid… I was supposed to be fun and non-serious all the time. Well anywho.. that personality went with me when I went off to the military and the rest is history… but I am still a serious person and people seem intimidated to talk to me. This has affected my social skills. I feel I don’t have many friends because of it. :-/

    Anyway… long story short… I need use these tips to turn my personality around. I shouldn’t care about people think of me. I just want to be a fun-loving person that people love to talk to. That’s my wish.

    Reply
  5. Janna @ Mommy's Piggy TALES - Record YOUR Youth says:

    I especially like the one about being child-like. I taught 5th grade for 6 years which helped me stay in a simple joys mindset.

    Now as a mother, seeing my daughter’s joy inspires me. I’m also recording my youth for her in my new blog/project (along with 50 other women)and it’s fun to remember what I loved and lived for as a child.

    Reply

  6. Pingback: Weekend Reading, 6/5/10

  9. Shawn says:

    So often, people think if you’re organized that you’re stuffy and can’t have fun. I think being organized lets me have more fun, because I can relax and not worry!

    Reply
  19. JohnS says:

    Interesting post, and quite true. You made me think back to the answer I’ve had for years to “What fictional character are you most like?”

    I don’t know if you know the old US sitcom Night Court, but I’ve always said that I’m most like Harry T. Stone, the judge in the courtroom. Now, I’m not all whacky or a Mel Tourme fan, but I’ve always liked his attitude that said that even if you have a serious job, you can do it very well without being serious while doing it.

    Anyway, I just thought I’d pass that along.

    Have a good one!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *