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Article by Joan Small
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Allow Yourself to Play and Have Fun

Shakespeare wrote: 'The child is father of the man'.

In other words, how you are as a child lays the groundwork for the adult you grow up to be. Wouldn't you think that the playfulness and fun that people enjoy as a child would carry over into their adulthood? Unfortunately this is not always so.

As we grow up we are told to 'be serious, grow up, face reality', or 'get real'. But you can create a real world that includes playfulness and fun.

Many of the rich and famous have not lost the spirit of play. People may find fun and play in sports of all kinds. Successful business-people obtain legitimate and acceptable relaxation and fun by participating in, or watching, sport. The film, television and live acting industry create humour and fun for recreation. Whole empires such as the Disney Corporation, have been built around fun and playfulness not only for children but for adults as well. One of the most quoted sayings about the Disney empire is, 'Remember, it all started with a mouse.'

All aspects of fun and playfulness allow you to escape from the monotony or stress of your daily life.

Laughter releases endorphins which keep your body well and lengthen your life. The movie 'Patch Adams' was based on the story of a doctor who used laughter to help ill people recover. There are now many clown doctors throughout the world.

Laughter Clubs are springing up. People meet to just laugh, with games and techniques used to get the laughter going. Even the Toastmasters club I belong to has the Mission Statement 'Fun through Learning'.

The so-called happy chemical is called Serotonin.

It has been shown that it is harder to maintain a positive attitude when Serotonin levels are low. However, you can break the vicious cycle and increase Serotonin by maintaining a sense of humour and flexibility, thinking good thoughts about yourself, touching, loving and giving more, and taking in more Omega 3 Fatty Acids. '

We all have a sense of humour, but often it is suppressed by our environment, past or present. There are many ways to re-discover humour and laughter, starting with the people you associate with. Books have been written on the subject of laughing, such as 'Laugh Aerobics' by Helene Grover, which provides techniques to improve your laughter muscles.

Do you need to put fun, play and laughter in a separate box labelled 'something to do when you are not working'?

Of course not. By introducing fun, humour, light-heartedness, and a relaxed attitude into your daily occupation you can turn work into play for yourself and those around you.

CHALLENGES

• Think of all the things you enjoy doing and find ways every day to do something from your list.
• Find books, films and activities to help change your attitude to life and work by incorporating humour, fun and enjoyment into what you do.
• Use fun and humour to lighten up and create a happy environment for yourself and others.

Permission is given to share this article providing the following acknowledgement
and link are included:

Article by Joan Small
For More Articles visit:
http://www.joansmall.com.au/articles.htm