Fighting Fatigue with Fun

In today’s fast-paced, stress-driven world, fatigue is inevitable. Combined physical and mental fatigue can mimic, and sometimes lead to, symptoms of depression. Defeat the doldrums before they become a formidable foe by fighting fatigue with fun. There are positive mental and emotional benefits to being around people whose company you enjoy, whether it is a loved individual or a cherished group. Planning fun activities involving people close to you is as good a remedy as any. Be creative in choosing your activities. Puzzles, board games and card games can all be challenging and entertaining options for improving your spirits and your general health, and most can be accomplished in a fairly short amount of time so your busy schedule can still be easily accommodated.

Puzzles stimulate the mind and can also be a useful activity for improving manual dexterity. Fitting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle can also serve to enhance hand-eye coordination. Crossword puzzles and other word games, such as Scrabble, Boggle or Pictionary, help keep the mind active, and fill-in-the-blank story games like the popular Mad Libs can keep everybody in stitches and the endorphins flowing. Releasing endorphins is your body’s way of dealing with pain and stress. Physical and emotional activity, as well as sustained laughter, are all known to stimulate endorphin production.

Playing board games, like Monopoly or Life, and card games with a group of close friends or family can be as emotionally rewarding as it is mentally challenging. Action games, like charades or Twister, are also beneficial. They allow opportunities for mobility, as well, and movement helps reduce stress. And any game undertaken with dear ones for the sake of entertainment and socialization is bound to elicit some laughter, too. This is an added perk with fringe benefits, as laughter is known to be therapeutic, and can help stabilize your mood.