Remembering Fun

I know that for some people, fun is not in reach right now. For those living through war, loss, illness, or simply the quiet weight of getting through each day, joy will feel impossible. And that’s important to acknowledge.

But last weekend, I was reminded of how much I need it.

My husband and I went to a 70s themed celebration. Sequins, disco wigs, Abba on repeat. I can’t even remember the last time I got dressed up properly. Like, really dressed up. From the first song to the last, we danced. We didn’t sit down once. And I laughed so much that my cheeks actually hurt the next day.

It was so good.

And maybe that’s the reminder I needed  fun matters.

Why Fun Slips Away

As adults, we get so good at taking things seriously. Work, bills, caring for others, the endless to-do lists and notifications that never stop. Fun slowly slips to the bottom of the pile. It becomes something we’ll do “when everything else is done”… except everything else is never done.

And then guilt creeps in: “How dare I enjoy myself when the world feels so heavy?”

But joy doesn’t erase pain. It fuels our capacity to face it.

The Guilt of Having Fun

I’ve been sitting with this: the world can feel like it’s falling apart, and here I am dancing in a glitter wig. The guilt creeps in quickly - “Who am I to be enjoying myself right now?”

But I don’t think feeling guilty for having fun is the answer. Guilt doesn’t fix the world’s problems. It cam make us feel smaller.

Joy, on the other hand, gives us strength. It fills the tank so we can keep showing up.

And science backs this up. Smiling, laughing, moving my body on a dance floor, it literally rewires what’s happening inside. When we laugh or smile, our brains release endorphins and dopamine, that little “feel good” cocktail we all need. Cortisol, the stress hormone, gets dialled down. Muscles unclench. The immune system perks up.

So when my cheeks ached the next morning, that wasn’t just vanity. That was my body saying, “Yes, this is good, we needed this.”

Flexing the Fun Muscle

I don’t have trouble letting go at a party. Give me music and a dance floor and I’m gone. That bit’s easy.

What I am not so good at is finding the fun in the everyday. The little moments, the stuff that isn’t sequins and late nights. Because for me, fun can end up feeling like it has to be this big event, this “special” thing.

But maybe that’s the muscle we need to flex, finding fun in the ordinary. Letting it creep into the small spaces.

And even science agrees it doesn’t have to be huge. Laughter, play, tiny joyful moments, they all have the same effect. They calm the nervous system, lower stress, give your body and brain that reset.

So maybe fun isn’t about waiting for a night out. Maybe it’s about letting it sneak into your day.

Fun in the Everyday

Yes, parties are amazing. But most of life happens in the in-between and that’s where we could try to learn how to find fun too.

It can be small, everyday, totally ordinary.

• Fun as playfulness: singing badly in the kitchen, saying yes to silliness.

• Fun as presence: putting your phone down and belly laughing at a terrible joke.

• Fun as connection: dancing with your partner, or sending a ridiculous meme to a friend.

• Fun as relief: that tiny release valve that helps you exhale, like that snort-laugh when someone says exactly what you were thinking.

• Fun as permission: remembering you’re allowed to feel joy, even when life is messy.

Fun doesn’t have to be planned. It can just sneak in, if we let it.

The Takeaway

That night, dancing in my 70's clothes, I wasn’t escaping life. I was reconnecting. With my husband, with our friends, with myself, with that part of me that actually knows how to just enjoy.

And it reminded me - I need that. We all do.

Which is why I don’t take it lightly. Because when fun is possible, even in small, ordinary moments, it isn’t frivolous. It isn’t an extra. Joy, laughter, and play help us heal, connect, and carry on.

So maybe this week, give yourself permission to flex that fun muscle. Not because life is perfect (it never is). But because joy is part of resilience.

Fun is fuel.
Fun is resilience.
Fun is medicine.
Fun is strength.
Fun is human.
Fun isn’t a waste of time.
Fun is necessary.

And yes, the science says it’s healing too.