People have fun in different ways. Some play video games, while others go hiking or dancing. There are those who enjoy just hanging out with their friends, as well as those who fiddle with their phones when they want to have fun. But, did you know that there are health benefits to having fun? It’s true and here are just a few of them.
Better Sleep
You may think that this is just true only by comparison, but that is not necessarily the case. People who have fun regularly also sleep more soundly. Anything fun you are doing automatically reduces your stress levels and allows your body to finally fully relax.
Stress
Speaking of stress, there are more ways to manage stress while you are having fun. First of all, doing something that brings you joy makes your body fill you up with natural painkillers and mood-boosters. In other words, you feel less pain, whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional. Fun is a great way to fight off some of the anxiety you may be feeling now and again. The serotonin you get from your hobbies, interests, and friends improves your blood pressure and boosts your immune system, which comes in handy to protect you from acute and chronic conditions. Finally, as we’ve just mentioned, helps you sleep.
Relationships
Having fun makes you more amiable. This is not only true for you, but for people around you as well. Having fun is excellent for making and improving relationships with different people. It is much easier to get along with people you may disagree with if both parties are doing something they enjoy. There is no need to overthink this – even a hearty meal with casual conversation may be enough to have fun.
Life Expectancy
Granted, this looks like mixing up correlation and causality. However, people who have fun lead not only happier but longer lives. So, if you know any happy-go-lucky optimism, it is likely they will live, on average, seven years longer than the people not having fun.
Energy
You know how you sometimes come home from work, absolutely unable to enjoy spending time with your loved ones or dealing with the stress of bills, expenses, repairs, and other issues? Well, treating yourself to some fun once in a while may be enough to give you enough energy to work out, fix the fence, deal with the in-laws, and so on. So, watch that game, attend a D&D session, or paint with Bob Ross on YouTube. It will give you more power to deal with difficult tasks and situations.
Set Aside the Time
With work, finances, and other things, it is easy to forget to have fun or to put it off indefinitely. The point of this piece is not to reinvent the wheel. Rather, it is to remind you to smell the roses and appreciate life whenever possible.
If you are still struggling with setting some time aside for yourself, it could help to think of it like this. Your boss, company, family, friends, and others that depend on you for this and that will have no use for you if you are burned out. Though it seems counter-intuitive, a short term break during the umpteenth emergency may rock the boat, but it works out for everyone involved in the long run.
