When was the last time you had fun? Not "I saw a TikTok of a dancing bird" fun, but more like true, lost-track-of-time, laughing out loud, never forget it fun?
Look, I know it takes a lot of hustle to just be in the world sometimes. But I have an important message for you: Fun is not frivolous! When we have true fun (more on that later), we stave off loneliness, we stop judging ourselves and we can walk away with energy that buoys us long after the guitar is back in its case or the deck of cards is back in the drawer.
It's important to acknowledge that to have fun, you really need to have your basic needs met. But making space for fun doesn't mean needing to go on a fancy vacation or spending a bunch of money on equipment: Fun can be sledding down a hill or singing a song.
I talked to Catherine Price, author of The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again, about how to add more fun to your life. Let's start with Price's definition of true fun:
Price defines fun as a time when you are able to embody a mix of three things: playfulness, connection and flow.
Playfulness
"I don't mean you have to play a game. You don't have to play make-believe, you have to do charades," says Price.
Playfulness is when you embrace a spirit of lightheartedness and freedom. It means letting go of the idea that you have to be perfect or to achieve something.
Connection
You feel a sense of connection with the activity that you're doing. You feel a sense of connection with your physical body. Or, most likely, you feel a sense of connection with another person or group of people through a shared experience.
Flow
You know that thing where you're totally immersed in something and can even lose track of time? That.
Price has a handy acronym that just might help you bring more fun into your days: SPARK
More on how to have fun (including a quiz that will tell you your fun personality type) here.
The podcast portion of this story was produced by Clare Marie Schneider with engineering support from James Willetts.
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