There was a guy named Manny Gordon who used to be on our local television news station in the 1980s.  His catchphrase was  “Enjoy Enjoy!”  followed by things like in this video, “Enjoy enjoy the winter wonderland! Or this video, when he said to enjoy enjoy the summer beauty of Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania. He seemed to be a very happy-go-lucky guy.

It gave me the idea for this post that we could all use more enjoyment in our lives. Seriously.

Changing the Mindset

I’ve known for some time that I need to incorporate more enjoyable things into my life. Stress had tipped the pendulum all the way over to one side, leaving me feeling like I had lost control over my happiness. When I did something that brought me joy, I felt guilty, like I could be spending that time more productively.

The society we live in praises workaholics and seems to look down upon those who take time to rest and recharge, labeling them as lazy or “don’t want to work.” No, those are the folks who know that life is all about balance (like my husbands says.)

We definitely need a mindset reset and to stop the constant need to go go go and do do do.

I blamed life and responsibilities for getting in the way and not taking time for myself. I would think there’s only so much time in a day, and the pressure to produce and work to make something out of nothing on top of doing everything else in my life just seemed to eat up all of my waking hours.

Exercise came after I worked. Fun things came on holidays or days I could justify doing something enjoyable. What?

Help Came at the Right Time

A newsletter from the health insurance company included a segment offering wellness assistance over the phone for issues such as weight loss, stress management, and high blood pressure.  Wanting to lose weight, I called and signed up for the service.

I got a call from a “wellness” professional (I’m not sure if they are nurses or what type of medical professional they are), and we discussed the type of help I’m looking for. I mentioned I’d like help with weight loss and stress management.

The person told me that it’s essential to take a few minutes each day to do something that brings us joy; otherwise, we risk burning out. She said that it’s very difficult to come back after a life burnout. Boy, that shook me up! I don’t ever want to find out how that would play out, so I decided I need to change things around.

We settled on a goal that I will take ten minutes each day to do one of three things I enjoy that bring me joy: reading, coloring in adult coloring books, and doing decorative planning in my paper planner with stickers and washi tape.

Of course, there are other things I enjoy doing, like walking outdoors, writing  “The Enough Blog” posts, writing books, writing songs, and doing the Funny Lady Life podcast with my husband. However, I think of those things as more necessary activities that carry a sense of responsibility. At the same time, reading, coloring, and decorative planning take my mind away from worry and allow me to be in the moment, feeling at peace.

Ah, Peace 

Do we know what peace feels like? Do we experience it often enough to balance out all the stressors we feel? I hope so.

We feel peace when we are enjoying something. It could be spending time with your child or grandchild, doing a craft, or listening to music. Peace is healing and helps offset the rushing thoughts of life. Peace stops the intrusive thoughts from elevating our blood pressure or heart rate. We just be.

To enjoy life as adults, we have to take responsibility for our lives and make time for the things we love to do. We can’t depend on someone else to tell us to take a break, sit, and put our feet up to read a good book or do whatever it is that takes our minds away from worry. We are the only ones who can make that choice and stick to it. As I mentioned, if we reach a burnout stage, health issues may arise, and someone would then have to force us to slow down and take a break from life. I’m not sure about you, but I don’t want that to happen.

I’m taking that woman’s advice and doing something about it now to integrate a few minutes of a joyful activity to create balance in my life.

If you feel stressed out, like you’re always going going and never seem to be able to catch your breath, take this advice and slow down for a few minutes a day and enjoy the moment doing something that brings you joy. You deserve it. We all deserve a healthy life, and that starts with balance.

So, enjoy enjoy a few minutes each day doing something you love to do that makes you feel happy. Trust me. It will make a difference in how we respond to life if we do something fun for a few minutes each day just for us.

Thank you for reading this, and I hope you take a moment to stop and smell the flowers or do whatever it is you love to do, a few minutes every single day.

To enjoying life,

Francesca

 

Written by a human for humans.

© 2025 FrancescaME | All rights reserved.