The rock and roll lifestyle has had its day – not to say the music has. Since people are living longer it is becoming even more important to maintain your health so your body can keep up with your extended lifespan. Nobody wants to suffer in their old age, but then again nobody wants to waste their youth without having fun. Striking the perfect balance will result in having the most fun while perhaps, even increasing your lifespan through good health.
One: Find Your ‘Fun Style’
Not everyone thinks that abseiling or extreme sports are fun ways to pass time. Of course, there are health benefits to getting exercise and fresh air through these kinds of activities but if they aren’t your kind of fun then there’s no point forcing yourself to endure them. Discover what makes you excited by throwing yourself into new experiences where you can learn exactly what you think is fun and not so fun. Knowing yourself is important. If you enjoy spending time alone there is nothing to be gained from attending clubs or parties. Just make sure you frequently check that your tastes haven’t changed – don’t miss out just because you still believe you hate music festivals. Give everything a try so you can say with certainty if you find it fun or not.
Two: Don’t Let Yourself Be Restricted by Expectations
This follows from the last point in that you don’t want to limit yourself by assuming you won’t like something. Try to logically consider the aspects of the activity by weighing up its pros and cons. Even unpleasant experiences can be valuable ones. However, make sure to understand other people’s motivations for encouraging you to do something. Do they think you will have fun once you try it and they have your best interests at heart? Or do they want to use you as a guinea pig to test if the activity is safe for them? This can range anywhere from bungee-jumping to taking drugs.
As society evolves its priorities change. There is no longer a need for people to construct neat families to produce offspring, therefore, the expectation that women are unhappy without children is outdated. Similarly, with our lengthening lifespan the notion of ‘live fast die young’ means something slightly different. ‘Young’ can be anything between new-born to mid-forties and beyond. No matter how much fun you intend to have before it’s too late, you will always find life to be more fulfilling when you are at your healthiest. Abusing drugs and alcohol to achieve temporary bursts of enjoyment is a short-sighted way of having fun and increases the likelihood of a punishing future. Suffering from addiction can completely take the fun out of your life and it is important to find help. Places like Colorado drug rehab center are there to guide you to better health. From there you can start to experience more of life and have more fun.
Three: Stress is Allowed
As with most things, balance is crucial. Throwing your life away for a comparatively short period of fun is reckless and has the potential to ultimately make your life less enjoyable. Unnecessary risks can influence the rest of your days and you might spend more time trying to fix or recover from those mistakes instead of living a fun-filled life. Instead of abandoning everything that makes you unhappy or stressed, develop strategies to handle or resolve the issues rather than running from them because they aren’t fun. You can accept the stressful parts of life much easier when you let yourself have fun afterwards. Holding onto that stress can have negative impacts on your health and shorten your lifespan but it is important to find ways of dealing with it when it occurs so that it doesn’t return to cause more damage later.
Four: Replacements Your Body Will Thank You For
Once you know your own preferred ways to enjoy yourself, figure out healthier substitutes that give you the same amount of pleasure. Sometimes the simple knowledge that you are doing your body a favor will be enough to increase the enjoyment of the healthy replacement. Instead of alcohol, choose creative and delicious mock-tails. The evening will still feel special but you won’t be suffering from a hangover in the morning. If you are a chocaholic, maybe swap your candy for chocolate-coated nuts before fully giving it up. The transition will be easier and you’ll be going in the right direction without feeling like you’ve sacrificed too much. You can’t go wrong with fresh ingredients and home-cooked meals. It helps to know what you’re putting into your body and you might even find that cooking is a fun hobby.
Five: Focus (But Not Too Much)
It might sound counterintuitive to focus on having fun. Of course, you should let yourself become lost in the moment when the mood takes you because overthinking can serve only to distract you from the fun. Focus instead on what you are feeling. Psychologists recommend mindfulness as a stepping stone to maintaining a steady feeling of contentment. Learning to accept your emotions as they come and go without reacting with anger, anxiety or guilt is a difficult trick to adopt, but is incredibly worth it. Focus on your emotions and take notice of when your favorites emerge. Are you at your happiest with friends and family? Does the library depress rather than inspire you? Paying attention to these little details will teach you which situations you prefer and which you would want to avoid. Occasionally you will be faced with an unavoidable negative experience but practicing mindfulness will help you work through it without causing yourself pain.
The basics of having fun without damaging your health are pretty simple once you start to enact them. Know what you enjoy, don’t let social conventions or peer pressure dictate your behavior, allow yourself to feel stressed occasionally, and concentrate on how you feel. Your body will tell you the rest.
