A Guide to Having More Fun (by Yourself, with Friends, & More)

• Have more fun alone by learning a new hobby or skill, or listening to music to enhance your mood.
• Enjoy your time with friends by trying new activities together like dancing, traveling, or eating at new restaurants.
• Make the most of work or school by taking little breaks to replenish your energy, and building relationships with your classmates or co-workers.

Having Fun on Your Own

Find a new hobby or skill. You may not be having as much fun as you want because you feel like you're doing the same old thing day after day. Look for a new hobby or passion to spice up your routine and provide something to look forward to on a daily basis. Trying a new activity will also force you to carve out some personal time, which will make you less stressed and more open to new ideas. Explore your artistic side. Learn how to sketch, paint, or take professional-quality photos. Photography will challenge you to look at the world through a more creative lens (literally), which will add flavor to how you see things in your day-to-day life. Try to be a wordsmith. Write a poem, play, or short story and revel in the feeling. Putting thoughts to the page is emotionally cathartic, enhances literacy, and improves your abstract thinking abilities. You don't have to be a Hemingway or Steinbeck to feel happy and fulfilled. Pick up a new solo sport. Try running, swimming, or power yoga. Whatever you do, commit to doing it at least once a week so you know you can have a great time on your own. Athletic hobbies are also great for your health! Learn a new skill like knitting, studying Japanese, or fixing cars. The more things you try, the more open-minded you’ll become. If you’re unsure how to find your next hobby, check out the schedule of classes at your local community center, church, or college.

Do something completely unfamiliar to you. Another way to have fun on your own is to get out of your comfort zone. Think about the most common staples of your day-to-day routine. Then, find a day to do the complete opposite, something that you never thought you would do, no matter how silly or out-of-character. Commune with nature. If you're more of the indoors type, spend an afternoon taking a long walk or even going on a short hike. You'll be surprised by how much fun you'll have. Watch a movie that you're convinced you'll hate. No matter how silly it is, you'll be guaranteed to have a good time if it's something completely new. Try a cuisine you normally wouldn't eat. You'll be surprised by how fun it is to give your taste buds a completely new treat.

Find ways to replenish your energy regularly. You can’t have fun if all you do is work and you get no time to rest. Schedule a few blocks of "fun time" into your schedule every single week, where you spend a few minutes doing something just for you. You can spend this time playing a video game, surfing the web, or even napping. Other ways you can restore your headspace and reduce the stress in your life include: Relaxing your mind. Spend some time meditating, doing yoga, performing breathing exercises or taking long walks to think about the day ahead. Relaxing your body. Just 30 minutes of exercise a day or a good massage once or twice a week is guaranteed to release tension. Sleeping. Getting a good night’s sleep by going to bed and waking up around the same time every day. It’s guaranteed to improve your energy levels and make you feel more capable of handling your responsibilities.

Think more positively to maintain a fun, upbeat attitude. Cultivate a more optimistic mindset by finding ways to spin negative thoughts positively. Look for solutions and minimize hyperbolic statements. For example, instead of saying “I always fail my math tests,” try “Because I haven’t done great on previous math tests, I will study harder.” Positive thinking can improve your life dramatically: daily routine, friends, and goals will be more attractive once you learn to embrace the best in every situation. To think more positively, recognize everything you're grateful for. Write down all of the things you love about your life and the people in it. This will make you feel more upbeat as you go on with your day. Think of the best-case scenario instead of the worst-case scenario. Whenever you catch yourself worrying about the worst thing that can happen, fight back with the best possible outcome. This will help you recognize that things don’t have to be black-and-white. Avoid nagging or whining. It's okay to complain once in a while, but if you whine about every little thing that went wrong, you'll be ruining your own fun as well as the fun of everyone around you.

Listen to music. Experts suggest that music helps reduce stress and improves your mood. When you feel a bad vibe, take this stress as a cue, and turn on a song you like to try to combat it. By turning on good music every time you feel yourself spiraling, you’ll make it a part of your routine which will boost your mood. Look for new music regularly. By expanding your music taste, you’ll add variety into your life, which can help fight boredom and open your mind.

Having Fun with Others

Find a new activity to do with your friends. Boredom can affect friend groups, too. If you're hanging out at the same places with the same people week-after-week, try going somewhere new. If the company is good, you’re almost guaranteed to have fun with your friends, no matter what the activity is. You could: Join a team sport. Whether you're joining a volleyball league or just playing badminton with two of your friends, some friendly competition will keep you all entertained. Do a cultural activity. Go to the theater, a museum, or a concert with your friends. Look for shows and artists you haven’t all seen before. Throw a themed party and invite everyone you know. The theme can be costumes, murder mystery, or a celebration of an event like the Superbowl or the Oscars. By having a common topic, your guests will have something easy to talk about and you’ll all have more fun. Check out a new restaurant. Go to a completely new place for the food or for the happy hour specials, and indulge in the great conversations over good eats. Cook together. Invite over a few friends and create an elaborate meal, or have fun baking new kinds of desserts.

Dance with your besties to boost your mood and sense of playfulness. Dancing with your friends is always a good time, no matter how silly or insecure you may feel. You can dance at a house party, at a club with a few close friends, or even in the middle of the street if the mood strikes. Moving your body and even singing along to the lyrics of a silly song will replenish your energy and remind you to take life less seriously. If you really like dancing, try taking a salsa, cardio hip hop, or other dance class to make your life more fun.

Hang out with positive, like-minded people. Part of having fun is hanging out with people who bring more fun and joy to your everyday life. If you're hanging out with a Negative Nancy or a constant complainer, it’ll be difficult to get in a fun-loving mood. Try looking for the following traits in the people you associate with: Spontaneity. People who are adaptable and adventurous can break up strict routines and help you find fun in the most unlikely places. Humor. People who can make you laugh will help you smile, even in boring situations. Optimism. Positive people are excited about life and are guaranteed to have more fun than negative, whiny people.

Laugh more. Laughter has been scientifically proven to relieve stress, better your mood, and even improve your immune system.Plus, it makes you more fun to be around. It’s easy to add humor into your life when there are others with you, whether it’s watching a funny movie together or simply swapping corny jokes back and forth until your sides hurt. Humor comes from releasing inhibitions. Your friends will love you no matter what, so don’t be afraid to act silly or goofy in front of them. Sing into your hairbrush, dress up in the most ridiculous outfits, or dance like a fool. You’ll be having more fun in no time at all!

Take a trip or go on an adventure together. Travel is great for your mental health. Get a change of scenery to ward off burnout and improve your relationships with the people you travel with. Adventure doesn't have to be big or expensive either. It can be as simple as taking a road trip just a few hours away or visiting a local landmark that you've never seen. For a more in-depth adventure, go on a fun vacation. Visit Vegas, Mexico, or just the next town over just because you feel like it. Enjoy the feeling of being a tourist and acting a little bit outrageous. Planning an adventure will also give you something to look forward to and do in your free time, which can help boost your mood.

Having Fun at Work

Build relationships with your co-workers. It’s much easier to have fun at work if you enjoy the company of the people there. Make an effort to be friendly with your colleagues and boss. Check in with them during your breaks, ask questions, and talk to them about their families and interests. Be available in your workspace. If you look approachable instead of busy or closed off, more people will want to talk to you. Smile at your peers as they walk past and leave your door open if you have a private office. Step out for lunch with one of your colleagues to get to know each other better. Don't let all of your relationships end with the work day. If you're growing closer with some of your colleagues, invite them out for a drink or coffee after work.

Liven up your workspace. You can have more fun at work by trying to make your work environment more entertaining and comfortable. While certain parts of your workspace are out of your control, you can add a little extra pep by: Try decorating your office. If you can, put up fun posters or bring in a brightly-colored vase with some flowers in it. Bringing in food. Bake cookies or provide some chips and guacamole and see how it puts everyone in a more friendly, happy mood. Add humor to your work area. Hang up a funny calendar and pictures that make you smile. They’ll enhance the moods of the people around you, too.

Plan some after-work excursions. Try to have fun with the people you work with, even after the work day is over. Organize a weekly happy hour, a bi-monthly team meal, a night outing like bowling or karaoke, or just invite a few people to have dinner once in a while. If you're throwing a party with friends, invite some of your work colleagues. Bringing them into a fun environment will create a more fun environment at your job. You and your colleagues can also volunteer together. You'll be able to bond while doing a good deed.

Take short breaks every hour or so. If you want to have fun at work, then you can't spend 12 hours a day perched over your desk even if it means you'll be home a bit faster. Give yourself a 5 minute break at least every hour to help your mind and body recharge. This will boost your energy, which will help you have more fun throughout the day. Go out for lunch. Stepping out of the office for lunch, whether you're alone or with a colleague, will give you a brief break that will make you feel happier about getting to work. Get a little bit of physical exercise. Even if you're at the office all day, take at least 10-15 minutes to go for a walk, whether you're walking outside or around the office. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator if you can. This will give you a quick physical break. Switch tasks from time to time. Switch between filing, making calls, and sending emails. Adding variety will make each individual task a little more exciting.

Play some games while you work. You won't majorly interrupt your productivity if you take the time to play a little game once in a while. Even just playing with silly putty or a slinky while you're at your desk will make your work day a little more enjoyable. If you have a more casual office, throw a Nerf ball around with your colleagues to make the environment more playful. If you have your own office, hang a basketball hoop over your door and shoot a light ball into it from time to time.

Having Fun at School

Recognize that your teachers like to have fun, too. You'll have a lot more fun at school if you learn to see your teachers as equals and to give them the respect and attention that they deserve. If you actually like your teachers, you'll be more excited to go to their classes and will be having more fun at school in no time. (Plus, if they like you, they’ll make more of an effort to ensure you’re entertained.) Be friendly. Take the time to greet your teachers before class and to say hello if you see them in the halls. Take the time to get to know them. Without being annoying, have a friendly chat with your teacher at their desk before class once in a while. Show interest in the subject matter. Pay attention. Ask and answer good questions, and you'll have more of an appreciation for your teacher and the subject they teach.

Talk with your friends during breaks. School is for learning and socializing. Quality time with your buddies makes each day a little bit better. Though you shouldn't be disrupting your learning by goofing off during class, enjoy some chill, quality time together by eating together in the cafeteria, chatting near your locker and between classes, or carpooling together to and from school. Get to school early for some extra quality time with your friends. The conversation will boost your energy, mood, and help wake you up for the day.

Immerse yourself in school subjects. You won't be having fun if you're bored in class or don't understand the material. Take an interest in what you’re learning by doing your homework and studying for your exams. You’ll have more fun if you’re engaged in class and know what’s going on. Also, talk to your teacher about finding ways to connect subjects with your interests. For example, if you love comics, see if you can do an English unit on graphic novels. If you like cars, ask to do a science project involving car parts and so on. Give every subject a chance. Don't decide that you hate math and that you'll always hate math after one bad geometry class. Reset your mind after every new teacher and tell yourself that there's at least one cool thing about every subject, no matter how challenging it may have been in the past.

Join some fun extracurricular activities. Join an after-school club or a sport that you're interested in. This will give you something to look forward to during each school day. Plus, you can use the activity to improve yourself and your college applications. Get to know the people who participate in your sport or club. A big part of extra-curricular activities is the bond that you will build with the people around you. Make the most of the people around you and build as many connections as you can. Picking a team sport like basketball or soccer can help build friendships because you all have to work together to achieve a common goal. Common clubs that help you explore your interests and enhance your social life are the school newspaper, yearbook, or debate team.