How To Add Whimsy and Play To Your Life
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I recently listened to a podcast from NPR called Life Kit about how to live with roommates and my favorite tip from that podcast was adding whimsy and play into your life. I was shocked to hear this because my therapist very recently told me to do this with my relationship with my boyfriend! After trying out some of her ideas, I decided I needed to share them with my audience because it has added such joy to my life and my relationships.
The podcast I from NPR and another podcast about playfulness will be linked at the bottom of the post!
This post is all about how to add whimsy and play to your life!
Add Play To Your Relationships With Family Or As Close To Family As Possible
Find the people you are closest to and start being playful with them! Play games, jump around, be silly! Don’t be afraid to feel stupid because being silly is a little stupid and that is the best part. Feeling free to enjoy life will make you feel fun and joyful. Choosing close people will allow you to do this as freely as possible and as comfortably as possible.
Here are some ideas to do with close friends and family:
- Have a dance party
- Sing Karaoke
- Send memes and gifs to each other
It is important to be silly. It is so healing as an adult to be silly and whimsical because it helps us feel free as a child.
If you aren’t a Christian you can skip to the next section, but for those of us who are, God invites us to be child-like throughout the Bible. We are children of God, have child-like faith, etc. Being a child of God means that we should not have big girl worries because God has our back. God is our parent who we depend on and He will protect us from the adult struggles we have.
Be Playful In Your Romantic Relationships
Adding whimsy and play into your romantic relationships is the best way to grow as a couple. Playfulness is essential to having fun, and who doesn’t want their partner to be someone they have fun with.
In Catherine Price’s book, The Power of Fun: How To Feel Alive Again, Price describes true fun as 3 things combined: playfulness, connection, and flow. Flow is just when you get into a groove and lose track of time. Having all three of these things in your relationship will make you stronger as a couple and feel more connected overall.
I know I feel my most beautiful when I am truly joyful and having fun. Price states that when people are being playful, they sparkle. And I agree 100%! When I see women smiling their true smiles and doing something they love, they look radiant.
Adding some fun also adds mystery. It’s like getting to know your partner in a new way every time you have true fun together.
Being Fun As A Mom
Playfulness is something every kid enjoys seeing from their parent, especially from their mothers who they don’t often see as playful and fun. Being silly is vital for your kids to feel free and also to feel whimsy and play. Think back to your favorite memories with your parents or parent figure, was it when they were serious or did they let loose a little bit? Create more of these memories by being silly!
Humor is an essential human function and you can see that in babies! Even babies as young as 3 months old show signs of humor, play, and pretend, showing how basic and natural humor is.
Whimsy is something fun that you add to your days as a mother or parent in many ways. Here are a few ideas:
- Have a dance party to your favorite music
- Go on walks and skip/walk in a silly way
- Laugh at yourself
- Use puns
Playful Self Care
The British Association for Holistic Medicine and Health Care says that play is the best form of self-care! Playful self-care can make your routine way more fun and easier to stick to. If you are looking to stick to your routine even better, then play is essential. Whimsy is also something you can add to your routine, this can mean that you paint little flowers on the inside of your dresser!
If you would like to read more about self care, click the link below to read about why self care feels like a chore!
My recommendations for playful self care:
- Sing in the mirror as you get ready
- Write love notes to yourself in lipstick on a mirror
- Strut when you go on a walk
- Draw out silly drawings
- Make a Pinterest board filled with images depicting how you want to feel as you grow older
- Laugh when you feel like it!
How To Have Fun As An Adult
When life gets busy as an adult, it is easy to lose sight of the importance of having fun. We often see fun as a luxury and not as an essential component of our well-being. Yet, embracing moments of joy and playfulness is not just a frivolous indulgence but a vital aspect of maintaining mental, emotional, and physical health. Engaging in activities that bring pleasure and laughter fosters a sense of balance, reducing stress levels, boosting mood, and enhancing overall resilience in the face of life’s challenges. Not only that, fun serves as a potent antidote to the monotony of routine, injecting vitality and spontaneity into our daily existence, and fostering deeper connections with others. Ultimately, recognizing the significance of fun as an adult allows us to embrace the richness of life’s experiences, fostering a more fulfilling and vibrant existence.
Adding whimsy and play to your adult life:
- Connect with nature
- Draw more often
- Be creative
- Embrace playfulness by being silly and goofy with friends and family
- Explore hobbies (new or old)
