When was the last time you did something just to experience joy?
Young kids are great at this – they have fun for the sake of having fun, not for some greater reward. Or do they?
Turns out, having fun does come with a reward: dopamine.
Dopamine is one of your brain’s ‘happy chemicals’. It’s a feel-good hormone associated with satisfaction and pleasure.
When you’re having fun, you’ll get a dopamine boost, which is part of the reason why fun feels so good.
Dopamine also plays an important role in focus, learning, and memory.
So, having fun is good for your brain – pretty cool, eh?
With that in mind, here are some ideas to introduce more fun into your life.
Revisit an old hobby. What did you love to do in the past? See if it still hits the spot today.
Get arty. Draw, paint, take up cartooning. Do something creative purely for fun, regardless of whether you consider yourself to be ‘arty’ or not.
Take up knitting. You think smartphone games are addictive? Try mastering the art of knitting – you’ll want to knit for everyone you know.
Dance. In your living room. Dance like nobody’s watching (even if they are).
Learn for no reason. Ever wanted to learn something new (like a language or a skill), but struggled to justify taking the time? Learn just for fun’s sake.
Make someone laugh. You’ll almost always end up laughing, too.
Be a kid for a few hours. What would six-year-old you, do? Draw, paint, spend hours outside? Give yourself a mini-break from adulthood.
Watch comedy. Choose to watch something you know will make you laugh, even if you’ve already seen it one hundred times.
Once you figure out how you like to have fun, carve out time for it as often as you can.
Sure, you’ll give your brain a dopamine boost (and experience numerous other health benefits), but most of all – you’ll feel good.