In a recent New York Times article, researcher and author Catherine Price presents her findings on what precisely makes us feel most engaged and alive.
It turns out that, “Many people radically underestimate how important fun is to their resilience, happiness, and mental and physical health.”
In her five-year research period which culminated in a book titled, The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again, Price determined, “My research has shown me that true fun, as I call it, materializes when we experience the confluence of three psychological states: playfulness, connection and flow.”
While this is not breaking news to us - we have been serious FUN researchers for some time now - it never ceases to amaze us that there are ongoing scientific studies dedicated to the mental and physical health benefits of pursuing joy, fun and play.
Price lays out specific steps that you can take to bringing more fun into your life:
1. Plan for fun - we know this sounds oxymoronic but it makes sense. In many cases, it is essential that you carve out the space for fun to ensure that it actually happens. We are big proponents of taking just 10-20 minutes a day to creative play - or dancing by yourself to really loud, happy music - in order to fully absorb the potent mental and physical health benefits to the activity.
2. Cut down on fake fun - Price describes fake fun as mindless tv binging, and the mindless bottomless hole of the IG scroll. Cut. It. DOWN!
3. Find Fun in small doses - There are really an infinite number of ways to have fun in a short about time. Head to our ‘Practice’ blog to find several of our creative play prompts that offer guaranteed fun if you are short on time!
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