Episode #220: How to Have Fun Even When Life and Parenting Get Tough

The Better Behavior Show with Dr. Nicole Beurkens

My guest this week is Dr. Mike Rucker.

What feeling does the word “fun” evoke? Does it make you smile and reminisce of what brings you joy, or does it make you think “huh, what’s fun?” In this episode, Mike and I discuss this idea of inserting fun, even if life isn’t all that “happy”. We know there’s a big gap in what society portrays and what is real life, so there’s no wonder why so many feel stressed out, stuck, or we are not meeting expectations. Real life isn’t always going to be pure happiness, there will always be bumps and deviations, more for some than others, but any which way your mindset is, our conversation today will help elevate (or insert) fun in your life. Do you feel overbooked, overworked, or overwhelmed as a parent? Simple strategies and mindset reframes can make a huge impact on the quality and happiness level in your life. As parents, we can fall in to “our duty” trap all too often and sometimes can end up resenting ourselves and our children. So what I really enjoy about Mike’s work and perspective, is his realistic and practical approach to evaluating your life activities with a simple, non judgmental tool called the PLAY model. You can co-create fun with your kids and in your own life. We're going to talk about how doing fun things, even tiny ones, support our ability to better regulate ourselves, and ultimately how it supports us in being better parents and better humans. It’s time to stop postponing fun and be intentional with moments of joy!

Dr. Mike Rucker is an organizational psychologist, behavioral scientist, and charter member of the International Positive Psychology Association. He has been academically published in publications like the International Journal of Workplace Health Management. His ideas about fun and health have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fast Company, Forbes, Vox, Thrive Global, Mindful, mindbodygreen, and more. He currently serves as a senior leader at Active Wellness and is the author of the upcoming book The Fun Habit, available January 2023.

Connect with Dr. Mike Rucker:

Insta: @thewonderoffun

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.rucker.phd

Website: https://michaelrucker.com

Twitter: @performbetter

Episode Takeaways

Episode Intro … 00:00:30

Introduction to Dr. Mike Rucker & Background of Fun! … 00:01:25

Fixated on Chasing Happiness … 00:08:32

Sharing Duties with Our Social Circle … 00:13:09

Having Fun Even When Not Feeling Happy … 00:16:32

Stuck in Problem Solving Mode … 00:20:45

Finding Pockets of Joy with PLAY Model … 00:26:27

We Are Dopamine Addicted … 00:31:28

Pros & Cons of Media Consumption for Entertainment … 00:36:08

Growth Mindset & Co-Creating Fun … 00:43:40

Resources & Episode Wrap Up … 00:49:52

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