Four Proven Ways To Get Your Happy On

Remember that scene in Risky Business (God, I’m dating myself) where Tom Cruise says, “Sometimes you gotta say WTF…make your move.” How about this one from The Shining: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Yeah, that one was super creepy, but hopefully you get the point – sometimes you need to cut loose, take a break, step away for a bit, and just get your chill on. Or, your fun on, for that matter. 

For me personally, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way by letting myself get far too physically rundown and professionally burned out. That said, what came out of that was genius because I finally began truly living my life once I hit that bottom. 

Mind you, this was several years ago when I was 35 – before my kids even. But I swore, that I was going to take more time to travel, have adventures, step away, and realign my priorities on a regular basis. And I renew this commitment to myself every year. This looks different for all of us, but for me it’s any of the following:

• Engaging in my hobbies throughout the week. I love animals so it could be a horseback ride. A hike with my dogs. A belly-scratch session with our pig, Stella. The bottom line is that if there is something you love, do more of it.
• Staycations. Sometimes an actual vacation can be stressful and expensive. It requires time for planning and extra cash that we simply may not have. BUT, a staycation can be just as bomb. This is exactly what it sounds like. Staying in town, but taking the day off to ‘Ferris Bueller it’ in your hometown. Go to a museum. Kick it at the pool of a fancy hotel. Sight see. Picnic in the park. Or, just veg out in front of the fire with that book you’ve been meaning to get to.
• Have an adventure. Seriously. What is that you haven’t done, but always wanted to do?  Skydive, bungee, river raft, whale watch? Whatever it is, do it. Life is short. Grab a pal and go crazy for the day.
• Play hooky. And if you have a kiddo, let them play hooky too. I’ll never forget one day when I was a young kid and I was about to get up and get ready for school when my mom came in and announced she was taking me to Disneyland for the day. Needless to say: BEST DAY EVER! And now, I take my kids out of school (maybe twice a year) for a totally unexpected play date. And I have to tell you…it’s so worth it. So type up your out of office message, and make some memories.

None of the above ideas may be your idea of a good time, and that’s fine. The key is finding what is and making more time for it. Commit to more unplugged time and more fun. Let’s wrap this up with my last 1980’s movie quote – “Life is short. If you don’t stop and look around, you just might miss it.” – Ferris Bueller. And I promise you, there is no way you are going to get to the end of your life and wish you had spent more time at the office!