If you know me, you’ll know I’m a full-time fun enthusiast. I have been for as long as I can remember.
I’ve been asked countless times, why are you so happy? Why are you always smiling? But it’s not always been seen as a positive. I was once told by an employer I was “too happy” and as a result, seemed like I was having “too much fun at work”.
So, when I scrolled passed a TED Talk titled ‘Why having fun is the secret to a healthier life’, my interest was well and truly piqued.
During the episode, Science Journalist Catherine Price shares that, far from being frivolous, fun is actually a critical part of a fulfilling, healthy life.
She shares a new definition of fun; True fun.
True fun is made up of three components; playfulness, connection, and flow, and the benefits go far deeper than a few giggles.
True fun is uniting. It’s joyful. It’s energising. We become more present, we build better connections, we let go of perfectionism. True fun allows us to enter a flow state, and we heard the countless positives that flow provides during our recent Masterclass with Steven Kotler.
So, how can you have more fun?
As a start, Catherine shares there are three things you can do to increase flow, connection & playfulness: reduce distractions (put the phone down), interact more with humans, and find opportunities to let your hair down.
My challenge to you: prioritise having fun over the next week. Not just personally, but within your teams too. We spend roughly 1/3 of our life at work, what’s the point if we can’t have fun along the way?
I’d love to hear what you do to create more moments of fun, you can email me here, and I’ll leave you with this final quote from Catherine;
“Fun is sunshine. It’s a distillation of life's energy. The more often we experience it, the more we will feel like we’re actually alive.”
You can listen to the full episode here.