Lockdown Diaries – 6 ways to make it fun

And I do not mean the ‘fun’ things that are en vogue or considered to be fun by others (like Zoom parties or learning to knit)…  I mean those dorky things that make you actually smile, make you feel free, those things that are uniquely fun to you – find them, hunt them down with a passion and nail them to the ground.  Dig deep in your memories for those moments of ‘feel it in your heart’ fun, and recreate them.  There is nobody here to look down upon your personal choices, nobody to scorn you for being late or not conforming to their normal.

I guess what I am really saying is that fun, in its truest sense, is completely individual.  But, just in case you might be drawing a blank, here are six things making life more fun for me right now.

SMILE AND LAUGH

I know that sounds sooo simple but I try not to take things too seriously – laugh at yourself, laugh at each other, let go of your inhibitions and insecurities.  Try smiling right now and see how it makes you feel.  Good, right?  The gateway to having fun is feeling free enough to smile and laugh.

BE MORE BLOGGER

And by that I mean prettify the everyday.  Use the special glasses.  Light the fancy candle you got as a gift years ago.  Open the good wine.  Wear your favourite clothes.  What are you saving them all for?  Make life beautiful.  Laying a great table for lunch really makes me smile.  It looks ready for its closeup but you know what makes it extra sweet?  When there is no photoshoot.  That effort, the time you spent going the extra mile, that gorgeous setup is purely there for your enjoyment.

MAKE BELIEVE

Just a lil’ something I learnt from my toddler.  He does not have a real jungle for his dinosaurs to wreak havoc in but he will quite happily use his imagination.  I think back to the times in my life that I have had the most fun and a lot of those memories lie in holidays.  Whilst that is quite out of the question at the moment I am all for making a great cocktail in the middle of the afternoon whilst the kids nap, donning my bikini, popping on Spotify and reliving those experiences.  (Currently trying to decide if my imagination will realistically stretch to a spot of paddle boarding…   without water…  or a board).   If a spa day is more your jam then do not hesitate to go the whole hog and slice that cucumber for your chilled water, play the zen music and set the mood as best you can before simply imagining the rest.

HAVE A DANCE PARTY

Turn the music up loud – not to an acceptable level of loud but like really LOUD.  Make the walls shake.  Dance alone, dance together, dance with friends on video chat.  One of my favourite memories of my Dad is of him turning his favourite tunes up to an obscene volume and fist pumping, foot stamping, dancing with a grin spread across his face.  He was over seventy and he knew how to have fun.

MAKE A LIST

I cannot be the only loser who finds lists fun.  In fact, let me reword that, who finds scoring things off lists fun.  That action honestly makes me voice a little internal ‘yas’ (ok, not always internal), you know the ones that make you smile and nod your head in deep self appreciation?  I have lists aplenty, for all aspects of my life and not only do I really enjoy that pat myself on the back moment of achievement when, for example, the neglected plants have been watered, lists also help me relax.  With all my minor and major tasks noted down in a list I can forget about them the rest of the time and concentrate on, you guessed it, having fun without my mind hosting a funfair for all the pressing to do’s birling around in there.

GET MOVING

And I do not mean in the exercise kinda way, I mean in the roly-poly down a hill kinda way. It is certainly proven that getting your heart pumping increases endorphins so why not let go of exercise fuelled by a motivation to be fit or look a certain way and focus on the fun stuff.  Remember when you were a child and the hours passed like minutes?  Now is the time to relive those moments.  Race your kid down the street.  Chase the ball with your dog.  JUMP over that pothole in the street.  Glide down the middle of that empty supermarket aisle on your trolley.  Play hide and seek.  And if you are lucky enough to be in lockdown with a special someone then I am sure you can think of one more way to get moving that also happens to be pretty good fun…

I know this is a difficult situation for so many of you and for a wide variety reasons but I can guarantee that carving out a little space to inject some fun can only make your day brighter.  It is true what they say – time flies when you’re having fun.

This post may contain affiliate links and gifts

 

OUTFIT DETAILS

playsuit – Zimmermann
sunnydip fray boater – Lack of Color

frilled romper – Boden