The busier our lives get, the harder it can be to find time for fun and hobbies. Of the four kinds of renewal, I describe in my S.E.L.F. Formula, the F /stands for” fun.” We need fun in our lives. It recharges us in a way that nothing else does, just like exercise releases endorphins, fun releases feel-good hormones that fuel our happiness and well-being. It nurtures our souls and energizes us in a way that helps us navigate life’s challenges more easily. Hobbies even make us better at our jobs, according to research published in Harvard Business Review, providing stress reduction, higher energy, and increased levels of creativity.
Yet, it can feel impossible to carve out time for fun in a busy life. Work demands, family obligations and endless to-do lists seem to leave no actual space for “me-time”. I was just coaching a working dad last week, who said he craves time to decompress and focus on the hobbies that bring him joy, but he can’t imagine how to fit that in with all of his responsibilities. I assured him we can find the time, and in fact, we must because those regular doses of fun built into the fabric of each day provides powerful fuel to go the distance.
The goal is to uncover the opportunities that already exist in our day, and intentionally claim them for quick doses of fun. Here are three ways to do that
Find the hidden pockets of time in your day. Observe yourself over the next few days and uncover those hidden pockets of time you might not typically notice. These might be the unexpected moments, like when you arrive 10 minutes early to an appointment or when a meeting suddenly gets canceled. What about when you’re commuting – do you have a plan for how you can spend this time in transit? Maybe you find that your entire family has plans during the weekend, and you suddenly have a whole afternoon to yourself. How can you spend this unexpected luxury of free time? Pay attention to when these pockets of time become available and start adding these moments up. You will find some every day – I am sure of it!
Create a sudden opportunity list. Consider this your fun “cheat sheet”. In other words, a list of three to five activities you enjoy doing and that can be done in small windows of time. Keep your list easily accessible in the Notes app on your phone or on an index card tucked into your wallet. Rather than spend time thinking about what you’ll do with these free moments, your sudden opportunity list removes any pressure to “think” (or fall victim to the ever-present lure of technology and social media!) and allows you to act instead. Maybe it’s working on a puzzle, getting a manicure, listening to a podcast you love, or meditating. When you have unexpected free time fall into your lap, use your list to maximize these moments by doing something you enjoy.
Avoid the gravitational pull of chores. Finally, pay attention to how you typically use these free moments of time. For many of us, we fill small pockets of free time with chores. We do the dishes, or we rearrange the pillows on our couch, or maybe we attempt to clean out our e-mail inbox. The reality is your chores will always be there. Making a small dent in your list of chores isn’t as valuable as spending these 10-15 minutes doing something fun that will bring you joy. So, when you find yourself with a free few minutes at home, resist the pull toward chores and use this time to do something for yourself instead.
The busier we get, the more intentional we need to be about fitting in time for fun. But it is worth the effort. By paying closer attention to our schedules, we can discover the powerful moments that might otherwise pass us by and leverage them for the daily doses of fun that provide us with the energy, motivation, and creativity to keep delivering on all of our responsibilities.