“Fun is a health intervention”. I heard this recently in a TED talk from American journalist Catherine Price, who has previously written about the importance of separation from your phone and other devices.

It struck me just how true it is: fun, as Price points out, is good for us. On one level we all know this – we all know that getting out and enjoying time with friends can give us a boost during a low period, for example, or that hospital patients have been shown to benefit from entertainment and enjoyment. But it’s surprising how often we seem to forget. Do you make sure you are getting enough fun in your life, just as you might consider whether you are getting enough exercise, or vegetables? When was the last time you truly had fun?

For some of us, it might be a while ago. All too often our busy, stressful lives crowd out any possibilities for fun. And parties, events and other activities, while being enjoyable enough, so often fall short of being really, truly fun.

So how to have more fun? It’s a tall order if you are already facing pressures at work and home, perhaps with a busy and stressful job and constant caring responsibilities. Having fun shouldn’t be yet another thing you’re trying to tick off an already-crammed to-do list: that somewhat defeats the point.

The best advice Price has is to actively prioritise fun, recognising it as something which is good for you and worth making space for. She suggests spending time with someone you know you have fun with. I would add that it can be valuable to actively think about which activities you associate with having fun – as opposed to those where you feel like you’re supposed to having it.

For some people this might be things we wouldn’t normally think of as fun, like exercise or even some elements of work. For others it might be more traditional fun activities. Whatever they are, it’s important where possible to make sure you get those opportunities for fun. Recently I went for a swim in the sea - it was chilly, and the other people on the beach thought I was mad… but it was a lot of fun!