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.

Get More Fun In Your Life – With Life & Goal Organizer

Life & Goal Organizer is a 360-degree goal and life organizing system. Like a personal coach, it helps you take charge of your goals, plans and life, one step at a time.

By leading you through a system of ready-made action plans – from time management and relationships to fun and happiness – Life & Goal Organizer provides a motivating way to organize your time, your goals and your life.

Learn about Life & Goal Organizer.

[Image by a4gpa]

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1. How to be Organized in 2009: Day 4 – Fun & Recreation
2. 7 Smart Strategies For Saving Money During The GFC
3. Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings [Day 4: Fun & Recreation]