How to Have Fun When You Don’t Feel Fun

Some folks have fun down to a science. They work in the leisure sciences field. These experts’ research confirms that fun is good for us. Still, fun’s importance doesn’t always mean we can easily experience it.

Fun Can’t Be Forced

If you’ve ever attended a gathering while distracted by negative thoughts, you know that you cannot force yourself to have fun. Also, nobody should ever feel required to have fun. Experiencing fun is not connected to a switch on a wall, after all.

However, it’s possible to heighten your potential for enjoying an event where fun is intended.

You Can Improve Your Chances of Having Fun

Fun arrives when we live in the present. Science supports that position. In fact, research published in 2017 by Mindfulness, an international, peer-reviewed journal, informs us, “Specifically, we found that the relation between savoring the moment and positive emotions and, in turn, residualized change in psychological health indicators, was amplified at greater levels of mindfulness and fell to non-significance at lower levels of mindfulness.”

In other words, when we live in the moment, we boost our capacity for experiencing fun.

Crucially, you can induce the feeling of living in the present:

• Habitually practice meditation.
• Get outside.
• Make space in your schedule for pursuing your creative interests.
• Put down your smartphone.
• Calmly, quietly breathe until your mind feels clear.

What to Do When Having Fun Seems Impossible

Even with mindfulness techniques, fun, joy, and happiness may feel unattainable. The reason may be related to trauma, loss, depression, or another issue we can expertly help you address at American Behavioral Clinics. Our large practice offers convenient locations for anyone living in the Milwaukee area.

If you’re not getting what you want out of life, talk to us. We can help you reconnect with your fun side.