We only get one chance at living today, so we might as well make it the best day we can. If you are not having fun, then you are not using your precious moments in the best way possible. It is possible to have fun, even while doing your taxes, it just takes a shift in the way you think about and view the moment at hand.
8 Ways To Have Fun No Matter What
1. Live in The Moment
Psychologists have discovered that when people are distracted from the moment, and daydreaming about the past or future, they are less happy. This is probably because thinking about the past usually brings emotions of regret, and thinking about the future usually brings emotions of fear. So, if you are constantly thinking about the past or the future, then you are constantly feeling some level of regret or fear. No wonder it’s hard to have fun!
Try to be present in any task that you are doing. Even if it is as something as routine as driving or walking. The more present you are, the more alive you will feel, and therefore, you will enjoy the task you are doing more because you will associate it with feeling alive!
2. See The Bright Side of Things
It is hard to have fun when you are always seeing the negative side of situations, people, or events. For instance, if you view rain as being a hinder to your day, then you are not going to have fun any time that it rains outside. But if you see rain as a chance to get out your umbrella and go puddle jumping then you will be able to have fun whether it is a nice day or not.
A great way to see the bright side of things is to say something like “Now I have the chance to do…” and fill in the blank. For instance, if your boss is being mean to you then you can say “Now I have the chance to practice my patience.” This type of thinking will allow you to enjoy the moment rather than stress out about it.
3. Appreciate The Situation
When you appreciate the moment or situation, you can really step back and enjoy it for what it is. For instance, if you are studying for an exam, and you feel as though you are not having fun, you can take a moment to appreciate the fact that you are learning, growing, and becoming someone that you want to be. You will then start to enjoy the experience because you have shifted the way you view the situation, and realize that it is benefiting you in a big way! Appreciation and gratitude will go a long way towards always having fun.
4. Don’t Take Things To Heart
Do not let people make you feel bad. There are a lot of people out there who will try and bring you down, or make you feel bad about yourself, but you are the only one who can allow that to happen. If you choose not to take people’s words or actions to heart, then you will have much more fun with your life.
A good example is when a family member makes you feel bad. They may tell you that you are too loud or too scatterbrained or too out-of-the-box. It can be hard not to take their criticism and let it ruin your day, but you have to remember that it is just their opinion. Their opinion is not always right! So view it as their opinion, and nothing more, and you will go on with your day feeling good.
5. Avoid The Need To Be Right
Many times we can be a situation that starts out fun, but turns ugly very quickly because we feel that it is not going the way we want it to. This is called the ‘I have to be right syndrome’, and it will greatly affect how much fun you have at any given moment.
For example, if you are playing a board game and you feel that everyone else is playing it wrong, you will automatically start to not enjoy the game, especially if the other people do not agree with your way of playing the game. But if you let it go, and remove the need to be right, you will have fun no matter how many weird rules get introduced into the game.
6. Be Yourself
It’s hard to have fun when you are pretending to be someone you are not. Sometimes we pretend to be someone different because we want to fit in, or sometimes we pretend to be someone different because we don’t want to look weird. But being untrue to ourselves will always block our potential for having a great time.
So, if you do not enjoy horror movies, then do not sit down and watch them with your friends to prove you don’t’ scare easily. Instead, do something else that you really enjoy doing while they watch their horror movie, and you will find that you will have much more fun with that few hours.
7. Let Loose and Live!
Don’t hold back in life. Our time here goes very fast, and you cannot hold back and be reserved if you want to really have fun in this life. You have to move past your fears and do what feel good to you. Dance if you want to dance or sing if you want to sing. Let go of fear and stop trying to act a proper way, and just live the life you want to live.
8. Fake it Until You Make It
If all else fails, and you are not having fun at what you are doing, then fake it until you make it. Studies have shown that forcing the face to smile can cause a person to feel good, even if they have previously been feeling bad. This may have to do with facial changes causing brain activities to shift to a more positive state. Even something as simple as laughing when you are not happy can cause your mood to change to a more positive one.
In the end, in order to have fun with anything you do, you have to shift your focus. Living in the moment, seeing the bright side of things, and pushing past fear are all great ways to become happier and have fun. Remember though, that being yourself and living life to the fullest will ensure that you are really living the life you were meant to live, to it’s full potential, and there is nothing more fun than that!