Today I was reflecting on all of the years I’ve worked with kids and found myself missing their playful exuberance, their enthusiasm for life, and their open- hearted wisdom. Kids are fun to be around. They know how to have fun and they’re looking for more fun any way they can get it. Grownups, not so much. Which lead to this post about why fun is good for your health and what we can learn from kids.

For some reason, most of us grownups have forgotten how to have fun, or to even remember that fun is something we can have. Can you remember the last time you did something just for fun?

Recently one of my empty-nester mom friends confided she was at a loss about what to do with her newfound free time.  Since she is a creative type, I suggested she take an art class. She looked at me blankly for a moment and then said, “ I work full-time. I can’t go back to school and get an art degree.”

“There’s a small art school down the road from your house,” I replied. “Why not sign up for a class there, just for fun?”

She looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language, and that was the end of the conversation. Meanwhile, a kid will do a thing because it’s fun, not because they need someone to hand them an official piece of paper for doing it. There’s nothing to gain, or prove. The simple joy of the experience is the reward.

So yeah. We grownups have forgotten how to have fun. Which kind of sucks. It’s almost like fun is a 4-letter word we don’t dare utter around other, mature adults. We’ve got goals, you see. important, serious things we must do in order to have the stuff we want to have. A nice house. A car. The newest iPhone. Fancy shoes. But in the pursuit of these things we forget to factor in time for fun.

I’m not saying it isn’t important to have a roof over your head or a reliable means of transportation. Of course those things are important. But so is a healthy work/life balance. if there’s no time in your week for joy or fun, then what’s the point, anyway?

These days most of us are living the Busy-ness Lifestyle, where we feel the need to stay busy and use every moment of the day productively. Ask anyone how they’re doing and the answer often is, “I’m so busy,” like it’s some thing to aspire to, or wear like a badge of honor.

But is all of this busy-ness making us happy?

I think we both know the answer to that question. It’s a dirty little secret we’re afraid to admit to ourselves because everyone else is doing it. Ask any kid and they’ll tell you grownups are flat out nuts. And kind of boring.

Constant busy-ness doesn’t just affect our happiness. It also affects our health. Continually pushing ourselves to do more keeps us living in constant fight or flight, which overtaxes our nervous systems. The results: increasing anxiety, burnout, lowered immunity, and numerous other (sometimes quite insidious) health concerns.

Having a healthy work-life balance, enjoying life, having fun are all integral parts of self-care. It’s caring about how you feel and nurturing your well-being. As adults we are responsible for caring for ourselves, so why not treat ourselves and our lives like the precious things they are?

Which brings us back to the need for fun. There’s still a little kid somewhere inside each of us is just dying to play and have a good time for a change. Pretty please, with a cherry on top.

So here’s a gift for the little kid inside of you. (What kid doesn’t love a gift?) Taking a page out of the book of simple, innocent childhood fun, I’ve made a list of 25+ glorious ways to have fun to get you started. Check out that list HERE.

In the meantime, here are some questions to ponder and journal:

1. What was the last thing I did just for fun?
2. Why don’t I allow myself to have more fun?
3. What do I like to do for fun?
4. Is my work/life balance sustainable for me over the long haul?
5. How and when can I add more fun to my life?

Fun can be simple. Fun can be free. Fun is good for your health. It’s also life-altering, life-affirming, and very, very necessary. Just ask any kid on your street.