THE BIGGER PICTURE Shalini SinhaWhat would you do differently in your life so that you could enjoy every moment? Would you transform things completely or make just a few small changes? In fact, is it important to you at all to delight in each experience? With all the pressures we face in this world, I could understand if you temporarily lost sight of this simple idea.
Many of us will say that what we want most in our lives is happiness. Yet, few of us will remember to enjoy ourselves in everything we do or make time to have fun. However, joy is fundamental to contentment and fulfilment. More than that, it's essential for good health.
The illnesses that kill most people today are either caused or aggravated by negative stress. Despite this, access to basic leisure and enjoyment is neither a policy priority nor a personal one. It certainly isn't included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And yet, while we are having fun, we are more relaxed, our thinking frees up, our imagination is inspired and we are much more likely to conceive of our dreams and realise our potential.
If we were to campaign for opportunities to enjoy ourselves, we would be laughed at. We would be seen to be mocking all that was really important in the world. But, is it more noble to kill ourselves slowly with misery or, even worse, boredom? Is the appreciation of the moment not what makes those things we engage in meaningful? Why is fun not of primary concern?
Having fun is pivotal in reaching the next level of our abilities and developing our creativity. Without fun, it is impossible to learn - a basic fact that most educational institutions lose sight of at some point. Most of all, enjoying ourselves gives us a much needed chance to take our attention off feeling miserable and inadequate, and put it on the simple, sensory, joy of living. If we were to infect each other with more fun, all our work would be much better done.
Working and having fun need not be mutually exclusive ideas. Being enthused while challenged by life is quite possible. Pushing ourselves to think better, grow emotionally and gain new skills can all be thrilling. Often, the only difference between being stressed out and enjoying all that has come to us is perspective.
We don't need to jump from bridges attached to a bungee cord or save up for a trip around the world to have more fun. A big thing every now and again won't transform how we approach each moment. A recipe for enjoying yourself includes keeping it simple. Most of all, it must be genuine.
Drug or adrenalin-induced fun does not change your being. All that is needed is to capture your imagination. A sense of humour is paramount. Comedy is a great opportunity to take the weight out of things and look a little more lightly at life. Play is really useful. Games that are creative, not competitive, are most effective. While getting fun from destroying someone else might give us a brief hit, it won't sustain a happy life. Rather than letting us grow, it will in fact shrink our world. For competition only creates boundaries on our imagination.
It is shocking that adults are tamed from having fun. It is even more shocking that we inflict this on our children. "You're too old for games. Playing is for children." The fact is that playing and games are probably all that keep our children sane in this pressurised, often thoughtless society.
Play is good for mental health. One of the things a child will do when facing a struggle is go play. This is where they get their attention off the pain and regain some empowerment and perspective in their lives. If you were to come along and provide nothing more than love, safety and attention while they did this, it is also through play that they will show you exactly how they have been hurt and what it feels like.
Play opens things up. It gives us a chance to release our emotions without worrying about them. Lost in a wonderful, imaginative, physical game, we can let go of fear and tension. Laughter is, after all, the best medicine. Finally, things that are really releasing for us will often attract others as well. Having fun lets us clear our thinking, consolidate our relationships and push to the next level.
Having fun should be the essential prescription for all human beings seeking good mental health. Indeed, it is the best contradiction I can think of to depression, but also the way we can be all we can be. We need to have fun, much more than we need to be industrious. Indeed, our philosophers will tell us that simple joy can define enlightenment. There is nothing more wonderful than extending ourselves to the ends of our imaginations.
Shalini Sinha has worked as a life coach and counsellor and presents the intercultural programme, Mono, on RTÉ Television. She has a BA in comparative religion and anthropology and an MA in women's studies.