With Wellness, We Really Need to Talk About FUN | Jennifer Mueller, MD
Jennifer Mueller, MD
I have thought a lot about wellness in the past few years. I solicit writing for this blog and love reading and thinking about all the many ways people practice wellness. But wellness is also an industry – there is a packaging and selling of the concept of wellness in the form of apps, supplements, beauty products, and tourism opportunities. This myopic focus on wellness can dilute its full meaning.
I recently listened to a podcast interviewing author Catherine Price on her book titled, The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again, and this one hour listening in has changed my entire perspective.
Price talks about the difference between “quietly nourishing” pursuits (i.e., reading, walking, yoga) from “fun.” She also clarifies “true fun” versus “fake fun.” Fake fun is experiences that may sound or look fun, but you could still feel empty or disconnected while doing them (I went to dinner with friends at some cool place but I actually didn’t have fun). True fun is something that helps you find the overlap of playfulness, connection and flow. You let go, let your guard down, don’t take yourself too seriously, you are in a flow state. Fun like this requires no set ingredient list and can take shape from a variety of circumstances. Price had asked people to share memories of what they found “so fun” as part of her research. The stories share a common thread—people felt joy, were deeply moved, and often, this was in connection with other people. I did the “so fun” exercise after listening to the podcast and remembered joy and connection too.
In high school a friend and I went for a wet and muddy run during a proper Midwest rainstorm. We were completely soaked and had so much fun laughing and letting go in the rain together.
This year I hosted a “mothers retreat” with friends and we had a living room dance party. Nothing fancy here—just two friends and an iPhone playing some random Spotify mix from the 80s. Total flow state.
What gets in the way of fun? Honestly, much of everyday life. Interruptions like emails, phone calls, and texts, social media scrolling, and mental, physical or emotional overwhelm will all interrupt a fun flow state. It’s hard to have fun when my brain is juggling multiple things at once, I am feeling run down, or work and/or home are stressful.
Understanding the difference between quietly nourishing activities and fun has helped me focus on cultivating a fun practice. I have started to prioritize relationships with people who are open for fun opportunities—my fun magnet friends. We try new things, take trips together, laugh, and have dance parties. I have started picking one thing everyday that I know I would typically say no to, then I deliberately say yes—who knows? It might be fun. I also am getting better at recognizing fun when it’s happening, and this has allowed me to lean into these experiences.
Wellness is perhaps too small a term to describe what we all probably need to feel joyful, connected, and nourished in our walk through life. I love the idea of bringing fun into my life as a completely unique aspect of wellness.
What are your “so fun” memories? Who are your fun magnets? Can you lean into finding fun, and would it be worth it to you?
Resources
- We Can Do Hard Things Podcast (Episodes 300 and 301)
- The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again by Catherine Price
Jennifer Mueller, MD, is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY.