Fun for the Health of It
Can we consider FUN a healthy coping skill or intervention?
When we are not experiencing joy, or finding fulfillment in our day-to-day routines, we might just have to pause….and find ways to play!
In her Ted Talk posted in 2022, Catherine Price, argues that fun is not just the things we do when we have free time, but that fun actually has three specific components that influence our overall well-being. Catherine goes so far to say that FUN is a “health intervention” and antidote to loneliness and stress. I couldn’t agree more.
The three components of fun according to Catherine, author of The Power of Fun: Why fun is the key to a happy and healthy life, are connection, playfulness, and flow. She argues that the most joy comes during times when we are connected to others having a shared experience. Playfulness is a state which requires a sense of calm and even lightheartedness, so no perceived threats or stressors are active. Catherine offers that playfulness also includes breaking the rules of responsibility. And lastly, flow is being present and not distracted.
I have to agree with what Catherine is saying and note that I often discuss the benefits of what I call “lowering the stakes” when clients are feeling triggered, or stuck, in tricky situations. What I mean by lowering the stakes is to include a sense of play, silliness, or maybe literally a fun (non-competitive) game. Also, decreasing the stress levels of interactions increases our capacity to be present and empathetic. Lowered stakes is a different means of engaging with our people, which sets us up for greater connections and fulfillment.
Next time you answer the question, “What do you like to do for fun,” get curious about how often your behaviors have the elements of actual fun; connection, playfulness, and flow. Is it possible to schedule something in your life that offers all three of these? Or is it possible to increase even just one of the elements of fun? Maybe introduce yourself to a stranger and ask how they are. This small act of connection may just boost your emotional state more than you realize.
Fun, as a healthy coping skill, is refreshing in a time when mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing and other coping skills are so familiar and add to our never-ending to-do list. In a state of true fun, our nervous system feels safe, our breathing is regulated, and having a felt sense of connection, is one of the most protective experiences we can have as humans. Fun for the health of it!!!
Kris Loomis
Catherine Price: Why having fun is the secret to a healthier life | TED Talk
Pierce, C. (2022). The Power of Fun: Why fun is the key to a happy and healthy life. The Dial Press.
