{"id":571,"date":"2024-09-03T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cruisetips.carnival.com.au\/?p=571"},"modified":"2025-02-19T12:08:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T01:08:25","slug":"all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"All work and no play: 5 reasons fun is good for you"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re caught up in the daily grind, having fun is the last thing on your mind. With so many urgent tasks and responsibilities to attend to, doing something just for the joy of it can seem like a waste of time. Yet ironically, play for grown-ups is more than just fun and games.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving fun is a non-negotiable if you\u2019re serious about flourishing \u2013 that is, living a life that\u2019s high on mental health and wellbeing,\u201d says Dr Suzy Green, founder of The Positivity Institute<\/a>. \u201cPlus, there\u2019s a difference between being childish and being child-like, where you bring a sense of curiosity, a non-judgemental mindset and you\u2019re in the present moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Freeing your inner child can give your mental and physical health a major boost. We take a closer look at the heavyweight benefits of lightening up:<\/p>\n

Stronger relationships<\/h2>\n

Having fun with others strengthens our emotional bonds and brings us closer. \u201cIt\u2019s the shared experience, the laughter and the \u2018contagious\u2019 nature of emotions,\u201d explains Green. With your kids, a fun activity you can enjoy together now can also serve as a way to connect when they\u2019re older. With your partner, it\u2019s about bringing joy back into the relationship, for instance with a lively date night (hello, indoor trampolining, bowling or laser skirmish!), a spontaneous pillow fight or trying a new activity such as art classes together.<\/p>\n

Less stress<\/h2>\n

\"CouplesJoy and delight are powerful antidotes to negative emotions such as stress, worry and anxiety. \u201cWhen we play, we go into a \u2018flow\u2019 state where we are completely absorbed in the activity and become one with it, leaving no space for anxiety,\u201d Green says. To tap into \u2018flow\u2019, give yourself permission to do something that brings you joy, whether it\u2019s colouring in, laughter yoga or playing Twister.<\/p>\n

A fun-focused holiday such as a Carnival cruise<\/a> offers plenty of ways for grown-ups to play: from mini golf, live comedy<\/a>, dance classes and karaoke<\/a> to the amazing Green Lightning<\/a>^ waterslide (the steepest and fastest waterslide at sea!).<\/span>\n It\u2019s all about having a break from regular life and enjoying yourself.<\/p>\n

Better health<\/h2>\n

Putting play back on the agenda can improve your overall physical wellbeing, according to a study in the United States<\/a>. Researchers found that taking part in enjoyable leisure activities, including holidaying, sports and hobbies, and doing fun things with others is linked to lower blood pressure, reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol and better sleep. Bonus: enjoyable activities are also linked to a smaller waist circumference and lower body mass index. Who knew weight loss could be fun?<\/p>\n

Stronger self-esteem<\/h2>\n

As adults, we typically focus on the outcome of a task, pushing ourselves to get it right or, better still, perfect. But with playful activities, the focus is on doing something for the sheer pleasure of it, without judgement or outcomes. This in turn can teach us to go easier on ourselves. \u201cIt makes sense intuitively that play is good for our self-esteem, because when we hold something lightly we have space for failure and a bit of playfulness around it not being perfect,\u201d says Green. Taking this open-minded, have-a-go attitude into regular life helps us to be more creative, especially with problem solving.<\/p>\n

Longer life<\/h2>\n

When we do something child-like and enjoyable, we trigger a cascade of positive emotions \u2013 happiness, pleasure, amusement, delight, contentment. And, according to the folks in white lab coats, feel-good emotions boost our likelihood of a longer life, with one US study<\/a> concluding these feelings \u201csignificantly predict longevity\u201d. Other research suggests an upbeat outlook can extend our life by up to a decade.<\/p>\n

The best bit about living longer? More time for fun, of course!<\/p>\n

Find out about the fun onboard<\/a>.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re caught up in the daily grind, having fun is the last thing on your mind. With so many <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2118,"parent":101,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-571","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Reasons Why Fun on a Cruise is Essential for Your Wellbeing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Experience the fun on a Carnival cruise, where play can reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and strengthen relationships. Embrace joy on your next adventure!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Reasons Why Fun on a Cruise is Essential for Your Wellbeing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Experience the fun on a Carnival cruise, where play can reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and strengthen relationships. Embrace joy on your next adventure!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Carnival\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-02-19T01:08:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/7.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1240\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"413\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/\",\"name\":\"5 Reasons Why Fun on a Cruise is Essential for Your Wellbeing\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/7.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-03T08:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-19T01:08:25+00:00\",\"description\":\"Experience the fun on a Carnival cruise, where play can reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and strengthen relationships. Embrace joy on your next adventure!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/7.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/7.png\",\"width\":1240,\"height\":413},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cruise Tips\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"All work and no play: 5 reasons fun is good for you\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/\",\"name\":\"Carnival\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"5 Reasons Why Fun on a Cruise is Essential for Your Wellbeing","description":"Experience the fun on a Carnival cruise, where play can reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and strengthen relationships. Embrace joy on your next adventure!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"5 Reasons Why Fun on a Cruise is Essential for Your Wellbeing","og_description":"Experience the fun on a Carnival cruise, where play can reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and strengthen relationships. Embrace joy on your next adventure!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/","og_site_name":"Carnival","article_modified_time":"2025-02-19T01:08:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1240,"height":413,"url":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/7.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/","name":"5 Reasons Why Fun on a Cruise is Essential for Your Wellbeing","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/7.png","datePublished":"2024-09-03T08:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-19T01:08:25+00:00","description":"Experience the fun on a Carnival cruise, where play can reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and strengthen relationships. Embrace joy on your next adventure!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/7.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/7.png","width":1240,"height":413},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/all-work-and-no-play-5-reasons-fun-is-good-for-you\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cruise Tips","item":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/cruise-tips\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"All work and no play: 5 reasons fun is good for you"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/","name":"Carnival","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"}]}},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=571"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5089,"href":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/571\/revisions\/5089"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/101"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com.au\/behind-the-seas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}