{"id":1404,"date":"2025-03-02T14:18:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-02T14:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mespot.me\/blog\/?p=1404"},"modified":"2025-03-02T15:26:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T15:26:09","slug":"this-girl-wants-tohave-fun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mespot.me\/blog\/this-girl-wants-tohave-fun\/","title":{"rendered":"This girl wants to have fun"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prompted by a recent visit to the cinema to see Bridget Jones, All About The Boy<\/em>, I started to ponder on the notion of fun. The film took me back a couple of decades when I was travelling the world, working hard of course, but playing even harder. Together with my partners in crime (not mentioning any names, you know who you are!) I had such a lot of fun. All of it spontaneous, totally innocent, and so good for the soul.<\/p>\n

Watching the film, I realised that, while my life is enjoyable in so many ways, it’s perhaps missing a bit of sparkle. It is a little too ‘grown up’. That, combined with events on the world stage, mean that a good dose of real fun would not go amiss right now. What’s more, it is well within my power to make it happen. It’s been a timely wake up call.<\/p>\n

As I started to look into the concept of having fun, I found that it is already well researched. Psychologists have long known that there are an inordinate amount of benefits for both our mental and physical health.<\/p>\n

Fun: the benefits<\/h3>\n
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    Positive emotions <\/strong>: fun generates positive emotions like joy and excitement. It is uplifting and energising.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Cognitive benefits<\/strong>: fun activities often engage creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. This can boost cognitive flexibility and enhance learning, making it a valuable tool for mental development and resilience.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Stress reduction<\/strong>: fun helps lower stress hormones, like cortisol, and triggers the release of endorphins and dopamine. It helps us be more present, and to offload the burden of every day life.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Building relationships<\/strong>: it strengthens bonds between people, fostering cooperation, empathy, and trust. They are all essential for emotional support and mental health.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Therapeutic value<\/strong>: play and fun are often used in therapeutic settings, especially with those facing trauma. Play therapy, for example, allows people to express emotions and process experiences in a safe, non-threatening way.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Yet, fun is often misconstrued. It is a feeling<\/strong> rather than an activity. It is not about what you ‘should’ be doing or what others are doing. In today’s overstimulated world, social media and peer influence can shape our expectations. What looks like fun on Instagram may not actually be truly enjoyable to someone in real life. Fun is ultimately a very personal choice and it can take time to reconnect with where it is to be found.<\/div>\n

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    What is fun and how to get more of it?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

    Having interviewed many people about their most fun memories, psychologist Catherine Price<\/a> suggests that, while their stories are all different, there are 3 ingredients that always feature:<\/p>\n

    1. Flow <\/strong>– effortless involvement, being fully immersed and focused on an activity such that you lose track of time.<\/p>\n

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    2. Connection<\/strong> – usually a shared experience with others, but can also be a greater connection with yourself.<\/p>\n

    8. Playfulness <\/strong>– having a light hearted attitude and enjoying spontaneous activities for no other reason than enjoyment.<\/p>\n

    According to Ms Price, it is those very same principles that hold the key to getting more fun in our lives:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    • Get in flow<\/strong> by removing distractions, the biggest one being our phones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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      • Build connection<\/strong> by engaging with those around you. Open up, smile, talk to strangers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
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        • Incorporate playfulness<\/strong> into your life by breaking the rules of ‘responsible adulthood’ and finding opportunities to rebel and do the unexpected. (My personal favourite!!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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          • Finally, and perhaps most importantly of all, PRIORITISE<\/strong> it. Take the time to establish what real fun means to you and make sure it happens – regularly!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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            I have already been on the case. For me, having fun usually involves music, preferably some dancing too, and being with my female friends. I have discovered, among other things,\u00a0 a ‘sing-a-long to the musicals’ bar in the heart of Soho, and an immersive version of Grease the Movie coming to Battersea Park this summer. Any other pink ladies out there?!<\/div>\n
            <\/div>\n
            Now more than ever, reconnecting with what fun means for each of us is key. Making it happen even more so. To protect our mental and physical health, perhaps the solution, as one Australian podcaster put it, is to ‘lighten up rather than tighten up’!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n
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            Having fun might seem somewhat frivolous but in fact, it is anything but. It has wide-reaching benefits and something we could all do with more of. Here’s how…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[4],"tags":[150,229,231,230],"yoast_head":"\nThis girl wants to have fun - The Me Spot Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mespot.me\/blog\/this-girl-wants-tohave-fun\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"This girl wants to have fun - The Me Spot Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Having fun might seem somewhat frivolous but in fact, it is anything but. 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