Modern medical science recognizes that stress is the source of all illness. To truly live a long and fulfilling life with a good quality of life, it’s imperative that you de-stress on a regular basis. You can do this by injecting more playfulness into your day! Of course, you shouldn’t do any of these things during inappropriate times. There are times where being playful and disconnecting from responsibilities is completely possible without any repercussions. Make laughter and playfulness a way of life. How can we do that, exactly? Here are ten things you can start doing today to live the laughter life. “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

Rid Yourself of Judgement

One big obstacle in living a more playful and fun life is the feelings of guilt and insecurity. When you were growing up, you had to learn how to behave in the adult world, which involves a lot of work, paying bills, and family responsibilities. Many people start to feel guilty after catching themselves zoned out and not working, even if it was only for a a few minutes. “Zoning-out” usually just means your mind needs a break! Let go of being too serious and over-critical of yourself and others. One good thing to do is to practice mindfulness after a few hours of non-stop hard work. Taking a 10-minute “mindful break” is often enough to combat mental fatigue during the workday. It will also teach your mind to relax and focus on what truly is, which will help you move on to be more playful and happy. A great example of this is taking your break in the outdoors. Look for plants and observe them carefully. Appreciate shapes and colors present in nature. Recognize leaves and how they move thanks to the wind, which carries life. This observation exercise is the perfect mindful break you may need to take the workday by the horns.

Look for the Possibilities

Life is full of more possibilities than we can see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. We can only go as far as our imagination will allow us to go. Access to the imagination doesn’t have to be exclusive to artists and creators. You can use your imagination to find better ways of being. You can use your imagination to find all the right answers to your problems. It’s true that your subconscious mind knows the best answer to every question. So, we just have to stay still and quiet long enough to hear them.

Play a Game

Everyone needs to make sure they get enough physical activity to stay physically strong. Why not turn it into something fun? Bring a friend or a group of friends, and play a sport a couple of times a week, such as tennis, volleyball, soccer, rollerblading or ice skating! The possibilities for fun physical activities are endless. If you’re a parent, try to make more time to take your children to the park, play tag or catch. If you’re having trouble fitting time for physical activity into your schedule, you will need to find a way to get your blood pumping.

Create for Creation’s Sake

When was the last something you made something, simply because you just wanted it to exist? Some people have found their passion in making beautiful and useful things that other people are willing to pay for. They’re offering value to life. Creation is so much more than just trying to create something to make money. Art in itself creates something of great value to the world. Let’s say, you wrote a book. You might be selling that book for $9.99 each, but the total value of the book itself is immeasurable. Create something for the immeasurable value it brings to your life, not the monetary value.

Follow your Happiness

What makes you truly happy? If you’re not satisfied with the way your life is going and you feel like you’re just “going through the motions”, ask yourself why. It’s probably because you stopped paying attention to the things that made you feel excited and alive. Look back at yourself when you were a child. What did you do that made you the happiest? Being outside, catching bugs? Making sandcastles? Coloring pictures? Explore the things that interest you the most. Chase them by learning more and more about them. Do this without any thought of monetary gain, at least, not until you become an expert in that subject. I would like to invite you to join our newsletter. With it, you will receive exclusive resources I create for my readers every month.