Are you having enough fun in your free time? Studies have shown that watching TV or scrolling Facebook feels good for about 30 minutes. After that, those passive leisure activities often leave you feeling drained and lethargic. The problem is those siren screens seem irresistible. You’re tired, they’re there, and furthermore your brain is wired to seek the path of least resistance. Active leisure like crafting, playing an instrument, painting, takes effort. Finding strategic ways to make satisfying activities more alluring is a real challenge.
Here’s the tip. First, ask yourself if you’d like to have more fun in your life. If the answer is no and you’re enjoying life plenty…go play! If no, but it’s too overwhelming to think about, consider seeking support for healing old habits of denying pleasure.
If yes, and you’re ready to do something about it, take a moment to appreciate yourself. You’re reaching out for more fulfillment! Next, take an inventory of the engaging activities/projects that are just now gathering dust in your garage, basement, spare room. Finally, and this is really important, find a way to bring one or two of those items prominently, permanently into your living space…You want those paints, knitting needles, instruments as obvious and accessible as your remote and mouse. (For a hard-core effort, take batteries out of the remote and unplug the computer!)
Remember, the first few minutes of doing something new may be uncomfortable, but the last few minutes will likely fill you with joy.