What Do You Do For Fun?
When meeting with a new patient or client for the first time, I routinely ask several questions beyond the obvious demographic ones. One of those questions is, “What do you do for fun?”
You would be surprised at how many times the question leaves somebody dumbfounded – as if it is a trick question that can’t be answered spontaneously. Others forthrightly state that, “I’ve never thought about it.” Perhaps the most distressing response for me is some variation of, “I’m not sure that I know how to have fun.”
If a young child grows up in a supportive and safe environment, much of the first years of his or her life is spent in play or other fun activities. Admittedly, a young child doesn’t have to worry about bills to pay, whether to rent or buy, or how they are going to get to an important appointment on time when the weather is lousy. While the process of growing up results in us having to take on more serious responsibilities than we had as a child, we shouldn’t allow those responsibilities to crowd fun out of our lives. Having serious responsibilities and goals is not incompatible with having fun.
It is hard to have a positive mindset if we don’t know how to have the type of fun that brings a balanced perspective into our lives. There are so many ways of having fun. Depending on one’s personality, fun can be had on an individual basis or with others, it can be active or sedentary, it can be physical or cognitive or both. The common element that permeates the definition is enjoyment.
If you find yourself having difficulty answering the question of, “What do you do for fun?” it’s time for self-examination and for commitment to having a good answer the next time the question is asked because you are agreeing to make fun a part of your life.
And if fun is already an important part of your life, it would be great if you can make some suggestions in the comments to give others some ideas of how to get started doing so.
