8 Ways To Fit Fun Into A Busy Day

The greatest inventor of all time certainly knew how to keep things in perspective, didn’t he? While you may not have the inventive capability of Mr. Edison, you can certainly make a conscious effort to have fun and enjoy your life.
Most of us live a busy life and you are probably no different. Between family, work and sleep, you may have a maximum eight hours of “free time,” the majority of which is probably used up in general, everyday tasks.
Relaxation and having some fun is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Your mind and body need rejuvenation for you to be both healthy and productive.

Here are 8 ways you can fit in both productivity AND pleasure in your life:

1. Give yourself 15 minutes every morning.

If you set 15 minutes aside for yourself every morning, it sets a great tone for your day. You’ll feel more grounded and structured. You’ll also know that even if the rest of the day slips away from you, you’ll have done something to benefit yourself.
Every morning, just ask yourself what 15-minute activity will bring you the most pleasure. You might decide to have a dance break, read a gossip magazine with a mug of tea, meditate, take a bath, or go for a walk. Whatever feels good to you, do it — with no judgment.

2. Stop trying to maximize everything.

Don’t try to constantly make the most of everything you do.
You don’t need to listen to audiobooks or podcasts on your morning walk. You don’t need to clean while you’re on the phone. When you have a spare minute, you don’t have to catch up on email.
Simply stop and enjoy whatever you’re doing. And if you do end up having some spare time, do something that brings you pleasure.

3. Have a cutoff time for work.

Set yourself a “stop working” time that you adhere to as often as possible. Make it so that after that time passes, you do things that you enjoy.
This is a great way to make sure you sleep better (devices before bed don’t do you any favors), and it also feels like a nice reward you can look forward to all day.

4. Schedule pleasure in your calendar.

Schedule in massages, time to connect with friends, or anything that brings you joy , just like you would schedule dentist appointments and meetings with bosses.

5. Choose a guiding word for the day.

Every morning, choose a word that you’d like to feel for that day.
For example, if you decide you want to feel “ease” in your day, then every time you don’t feel it, ask yourself how you can shape whatever you’re going to through to feel easeful.
It sounds deceivingly simple, but it works. Very well.

6. Create self-care goals.

If you respond well to goals, create some around making time for yourself. You might set a goal to schedule two massages this month, go to three yoga classes, or have five dance breaks.

7. Work with what you’ve got.

Use whatever your circumstances are to your advantage.
If you have kids, for example, it can feel really tough to take time for yourself. Instead of fighting it, work on doing something that brings you AND your children pleasure. Ask yourself, “What can we do so that we both have fun?”
You may decide to blow bubbles together, dance together, color, finger-paint, play with water guns, make snow angels, fly kites, or act silly.

8. Make pleasure a nonnegotiable.

Just like you brush your teeth and eat dinner every day, make pleasure another “have to do” each day.
Source: mindbodygreen.com