Common Management Errors (107) 

Cvii) Not Appreciating the Importance of Having Fun (fun has been described as
"...The feeling you when doing something you enjoy. It's a combination of laughter, creation and celebration. It is unadulterated joy......fun is a mood boosting and energising state. It can vary in intensity and duration, and it can occur in a flash or last for a more extended period of time..."
Catherine Price, 2022.
Importantly, play can be fun as well as a place to learn; it can help with creativity, exploring alternatives, etc.
There are 2 types of fun:
i) authentic (true fun) which has 3 conditions:
    - playfulness (spirit of lightheartedness and freedom)
    - connection (to somebody else, physical environment, etc)
    - flow (fully engaged in the present experience and lose track of the passage of time).
"...the type of flow that people experience when they are engaged in something they care about is the same type of flow that we experience when we're having fun......the more you experience flow, the more you want to experience it..."
Catherine Price, 2022
NB Any one of the conditions can create fun; to maximise fun, 2 or 3 conditions combine.
ii) artificial (fake fun) involves engaging in activities that are deliberately designed to fool us into thinking that we are producing authentic fun. 
The below comments on fun refer to authentic fun. 
Passion is linked with the flow and passion involve
"...the pull we feel towards it and the amount of energy it produces. Anything that makes you feel pleasantly alive is worth your time..."
Catherine Price, 2022
Interests, hobbies and passions are all part of the flow concept and need to be expanded; best to socialise rather than do them solitary
NB This is different to the eye-glazed-over state we often experience when we are staring at computer screen!!
Ideally, these 3 conditions (playfulness, connection and flow) occur at the same time; these 3 conditions lead to positive emotions, such as achievement, joy, satisfaction, happiness, awe, etc.
To get the full benefits of fun, you need to shed your inhibitions and formal facades so that you get in touch with your authentic self
Generally
"...It is not fun to be busy, material possessions do not make us happy, and self-medication can be soothing but not fun..."
Catherine Price, 2022
Passive consumption can include entertainment where it lacks interaction, eg watching a movie, playing games on social media, etc.
"...the problem with passive consumption is that when it's made too easy and accessible, it can become a form of drug, something we used to seek pleasure and avoid pain..."
Catherine Price, 2022
Curiosity can be linked with fun, ie discovering something new and different is motivating, enjoyable, interesting, etc.
The pursuit of fun can produces happiness, ie
"...It helps us shift our focus from an amorphous emotional state to an active experience..."
Catherine Price, 2022
Fun can help us change the way we approach decisions, ie will it generate playfulness, connection, flow, etc?
What we spend our attention on is not necessarily linked with fun, ie playfulness, connection and flow.
Laughter
"...laughter is a form of playfulness, and a powerful signal that you're comfortable in your own skin. It will create a protective force field that insulate you against your own insecurities and draws people closer..."
Catherine Price, 2022
Genuine laughter is a sign of authentic fun; research has shown that laughter
"...has been proven to reduce stress levels and increased physical health. It also improves our moods in the moment, and reduces our risk of stress- and anxiety- related diseases in the long run......helps us become more productive......more engaged in your work, and even helps us to tolerate pain..."
Catherine Price, 2022
"...the more we laughed together, the more connected we feel, and the more we laugh, the more connected we become. This is why humour and playfulness are so important for social bonding and why they help us against physical effects of stress..."
Catherine Price, 2022
Fun people have a sense of humour, ie able to laugh at anything (including themselves). Furthermore, they are not afraid to be vulnerable.
Being funny is a skill that can be developed by adopting a fun mindset. The best way to do this is to notice and appreciate the humour in daily life. Important part of humour is an understanding and appreciating the absurdities in your life.
Ask yourself how you can add a bit more playfulness, connection and flow to your life.
This can be done by sending out more 'play signals' to others and inviting them to respond.
Other ways include
- seeking out sources of delight and covertly enjoy them
- don't ruminate on past mistakes and anxieties
- develop a positive mindset by practising 'savouring' (the practice of deliberately paying attention to and appreciating the positive things in your life)
- identifying and understanding your own personal fun magnets and fun factors (this will make it easier to identify potential fun opportunities)
- use creative 'playgrounds' (establishing a structure and boundaries that allow spontaneity and creativity; these playgrounds can turn into traditions that spawn additional playgrounds that attract fun; identify certain surroundings such as objects and settings that seem to facilitate fun; it's important that people feel comfortable and welcome playground; be tolerant of fun activities
"...that are slightly naughty. They break the rules, committed acts of playful deviance, and behaviour ways that were unexpected and unusual..."
Catherine Price, 2022 Doing something different, just for the fun of it - encourage 'rebellious fun' such as rebelling against convention by being flexible or contrarian; be careful of traditions as they can be stifling; rebel against your own beliefs and question the validity of them; rebelling against formality; be less concerned about what others think of you and more comfortable with yourself; be prepared to do something that seems out of character - both professionally and personally "...experimenting with these types of rebellion can help you express your independence and autonomy, which many adults don't get a chance to do..." Catherine Price, 2022 - encourage 'pattern separation' (finding ways to break the monotony) - encourage fun 'micro-doses' (small, frequent pleasurable fun experiences that can be spontaneous or planned and are enjoyable and energising) - appropriate use of technology (ways to facilitate playfulness, connection and flow, not create distractions) - developer fund toolkit (collection of ideas, prompts and souvenirs they can be used for inspiration) Some Obstacles to having Fun
Technology has created a dysfunctional relationship with our devices around the Internet (social media, etc) and our mobile phones; it is one of the main obstacle restricting you achieving the 3 elements of fun (playfulness, connection and flow); we
"...are spending around 4 hours a day on our phone......we end up spending a lot of our leisure time on screens doing things that don't generate flow, like self-medication, entertainment, consumerism, or distraction..."
Catherine Price, 2022
Even though we need to phones for work, there are many things we do on them that are not fun, meaningful or satisfying.
Another obstacle is mindset, eg resentment at common emotion that can destroy your ability to have fun the person you're feeling resentful towards.
Similarly, too much focus
- on seeing fun as wasting time
- materialistic consumption and possessions dominate your focus
- productivity focus
- environment, etc
Perfectionism can be an obstacle to having fun:
"...it can prevent you from trying new things out of fear of failure......perfectionists have been found to have a stronger psychological reaction to stress and to perceive failure than non-perfectionists..."
Catherine Price, 2022
Fun should not feel like a chore (it takes work and there is no guarantee that your efforts will be successful; however, fun is worth the effort and investment; should not feel like another task on your 'to-do list')
Summary
"...fun is able to help us flourish, and it does so by providing us with positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, and positive accomplishments. The more you experience these elements, the more you will flourish......as it makes whatever you're doing intrinsically motivating. It also helps tap into a sense of shared humanity which is essential for our well-being......paying more attention to our need for fun can help us cope with life when it's not fun. it can help us avoid burnout. Fun can help us recover from anxiety faster......the more we have fun, the more ideas the connections we generate. The lack of self-consciousness becomes that having fun puts us in a safe and open psychological state that is conducive to creativity. Fun is a powerful tool for building a meaningful life.....It is so satisfying that when we experience it is nowhere else we would rather be. It makes us healthier and happier.....It helps us feel and stay alive......turn fund into a guiding star, you must make long-lasting changes to your routine and mindset. You must make space for fun, pursue passions, attract fun, rebel against boredom, and keep at it.....you must become the architect of your own life......you must continue to prioritise fun so that the pursuit of fun doesn't become lost in a sea of other things competing for your attention and time..."
Catherine Price, 2022)