By Alida Iacobellis MHSc RD
What do you do for fun? If you can’t answer that question relatively quickly, there is a good chance your life is lacking pleasure.
If you’re the kind of person who is always working towards the next thing whether it’s acing that math test, working late to go above and beyond on that project, or getting a new certification, chances are your to-do list is always growing. When this is the case, it’s all too easy to put fun and enjoyment on the back burner. After all, we are often rewarded for achievements at work and school, but we aren’t usually recognized for being good at having fun. Dealing with chronically low mood can also put you in a similar position due to lack of interest and motivation to do the things you once enjoyed.
Not only is it no fun to not be having fun, experiencing a lower amount and variety of pleasurable activities has been linked with higher body weight and a greater likelihood of post-diet weight gain.
If you are not having enough non-food fun in your life, the chances of you eating to give yourself the joy you are otherwise missing out on are high.
When fun experiences and pleasant sensations dwindle, fun food is generally first to fill the gap. If you struggle with emotional eating, filling the fun gap in your life is not a nice-to-have, it’s a need-to-have!
Over the last few months it’s certainly been harder to engage in some of the things you might have enjoyed doing for fun before COVID hit. Now that Ontario is gradually starting to re-open we have a few more options, but fun might still look a little different than you are used to. This is also an opportunity to try new activities that you might not otherwise have considered before social distancing measures were a reality.
Below you will find some non-food related ways to have fun and start giving yourself the pleasure you need to thrive in life. Please stay safe and do your part to protect others by following the public health recommendations of your individual province/city/state/country when considering the following ideas.
Enjoy being creative?
Try macrame, tapestry weaving, colouring, painting, photography, gardening .
Enjoy alone time?
Take a nap, meditate, journal, listen to your favourite album or record.
Enjoy being social?
Host a virtual dinner party, plan a game or movie night with friends virtually, join a virtual book club.
Enjoy being outdoors?
Try hiking, planning a picnic with those in your ‘bubble’, finding a lush patch of grass to lay in (just like you did when you were a kid).
Enjoy moving your body?
Try paddle boarding, dancing, cycling, find a new trail with a nice view to explore, try a new online fitness class.
Enjoy helping others?
Check in on your neighbours (by phone or email) to see if they need a hand with errands or a listening ear, make a donation to support a local charity or cause that aligns with your values.
Enjoy getting pampered?
Take a bubble bath, give yourself a mani/pedi, exfoliate and moisturize your whole body with sweet smelling scrubs, lotions and oils.
Enjoy animals?
Volunteer to walk dogs at your local shelter, cuddle/walk/bathe your own pet, volunteer to pet-sit for friends and family when they are away.
Do you have a fun-gap in your life? What kind of non-food fun are you filling it with?
Image
Pap, T. (2015). Girl Eating Cereal. UnSplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/XO5qTnr0a50.