Today’s All Groan Up guest post is brought to you by writer, coach, and all around awesome guy — Dean Phillips. Enjoy!

I don’t know about you, but growing up is tougher than cracking walnuts on your forehead.

We aren’t shown what to do, we sure make some mistakes along the way, and in about five and 1/2 months of pounding adultness, our head freaking hurts.

I know I’m not alone on that.

One of the life-crushing mistakes we make as we grow up is we forget about the main thing that shaped our childhood: Fun.

Fun, it’s what we thrive on, what we once loved, and it’s something many people sadly forget as they grow older.

One day you’re watching ‘Sister Sister’ and the next you find your mornings rushing your coffee and watching the news.

Let me ask you something.

Do you have a friend who grew up too fast and when you see him he spends most of his time talking about work?

It’s a grown up thing, or so we are told.

You wake, work, eat, work, get home, groan, talk about work, watch the news and then head to bed. Then you wake up to have the cycle repeat again.

Is it me or is that a pretty sucky washed up day?

Well my friends, it doesn’t have to be that way. (cheese alert)

Here’s some ways to introduce some life/fun into your relationships, work and general daily routine.

 

 

1. No Technology/Work Sundays.

Most people don’t work Sundays. It’s the rule.

If you do, then make sure this happens after work. No excuses.

Turn your phone off and put it in a drawer.

I know I know. It sounds strange right?

We are use to having technology at all times, and you may be thinking it’s not causing you any harm.

However, I’ve found a correlation between a lack of fun and being sucked into your phone. Set sometime aside, put the phone in the drawer and spend time with your family and friends.

Focus on what they have to say, every silence, soak it in. You no longer have your phone to break it, or to stop conversation or to do what it does best: Distract you.

Learn to converse. Have fun with conversation. Get back to your roots.

Remember when you were a child? That time without iPhones and MacBooks 24/7.

Remember the life you had.

2. Learn A New Skill

When was the last time you learned a new skill or even took a new class?

My guess is it’s been a while. I don’t mean an online class. I mean an in-person, in the moment kind of class. Something to push yourself and actually enjoy the experience.

Here’s some suggestions that you have heard before for a good reason, because they’re simply great:

1. Cooking Lessons.

2. Tango Lessons

3. My Personal Favorite: Rock Climbing Lessons.

3. Take Mini Breaks

The hard part about growing up is the lack of time we have for freedom.

It’s especially true if you work in a corporate place. I get it. It’s tough.

But like I mentioned with the Sunday. Actually plan to take a few hours off on the weekend.

You’re stress will decrease. I personally find that your focus on fun decreases when your stress increases.

Take time off, spend some hours out and actually make it a weekly thing.

My biggest mistake once was when I got sucked so far into a project that I stopped meditating. It didn’t hit me till weeks later when I didn’t feel like myself and realized I was not spending any time alone or doing fun activities.

No me time!

Climbing mountains, running in the spartan race and learning a new skill that makes you a badass is the new kind of fun.

It’s a higher quality kind of fun, wouldn’t you agree?

What’s one way you have serious fun in your grown up life? Leave a comment below.

Dean Phillips teaches guys how to become men, build muscle and crush mediocrity in a personal and humorous way. You can download his 5-day free course over on his site. You can also find him dropping the occasional knowledge bomb on his Facebook and Twitter page.