Header photo: Courtesy of The Resort at Pelican Hill | Pelican Hill spa treatment
Whether it’s trapeze lessons, dancing with friends, or a laughter-filled getaway, joy-filled experiences can rewire your brain and restore your sense of connection
Do you remember what it feels like to have “fun”? Does the idea of simple play register in your mind as something you did a long, long time ago with Barbies and Hot Wheels?
You’re not alone.
A recent survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that 76% of adults reported that endless news cycles, as well as social issues such as inflation, had affected their health. The APA called this stress factor a “crisis of connection” and pointed to loneliness as a major part of our lack of happiness.
And a LifeStance Health survey, released in 2025 reveals “stressflation” is affecting most Americans, with 83% reporting financial stress driven by inflation, mass layoffs, the rising cost of living, and recession fears. Millennials and Gen Z report the most significant mental health impacts.
Adulting is hard and fun is often the first thing to disappear when life becomes heavy. But fun, and its close cousin, touch and human connection, may be the most powerful forms of healing we have. In
a culture that prizes productivity over pleasure, many of us forget what it feels like to be playful, spontaneous, or simply delighted for no reason at all. But emerging research—and ancient wisdom—suggest that joy isn’t frivolous; it’s medicine. When we allow ourselves to engage in genuine fun, the nervous system softens, creativity returns, and the body remembers how to breathe again.
Reclaiming fun isn’t about escape. It’s about coming home to a part of ourselves we’ve neglected for far too long. And putting our phones down and disconnecting from AI in favor of analog human connection and safe experiences of touch rewires our brain chemicals for the better.
“Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun,” says Randy Pausch in his Last Lecture. Pausch cited fun as a major component of his fight to live to his fullest while diagnosed with cancer.
Quoted in CNN (Stop trying to be happy. Instead, have more fun, August 15, 2023), Mike Rucker, author of The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life, says “Fun isn’t ‘extra,’ it’s an act of radical self-care.”
“Fun is less ‘think’ and more ‘do,’” Rucker told CNN. “It’s demonstrable, observable, real, and immediately within our grasp. It’s available to anyone at almost any time; fun offers a direct neurological route to improving our wellbeing.”
Getting more fun in your life can take many roads. One old-fashioned, tried-and- true path is, yes, the circus. Does “I’m going to run away and join the circus,” send a shiver of joy down your spine? Then a class in aerial silks at Wise Fool New Mexico in Santa Fe might be on your radar. A nonprofit arts organization that uses circus arts as a vehicle for social change, Wise Fool has been offering classes in circus arts for two decades.
“Circus can offer a transformative way for adults and youth alike to connect with their bodies outside of traditional sports, and we’ve found that folks who have struggled finding their place within other types of fitness activities really flourish within our noncompetitive environment,” says Alexis Kubicki, Wise Fool’s director of development and marketing. The Circus School offers drop-in classes across a wide range of circus disciplines including aerial silks, trapeze, partner acrobatics, stilt- walking, juggling, and more.
Kubicki says that circus arts help develop strength and confidence, along with raising endorphins and other joy chemicals in the body (just remember that feeling of watching the high wire act with a paper cone of popcorn and peanuts on your lap and the smell of sawdust in the air).
Circus skills—trapeze, clowning, trampoline, etc.—are also on offer at New York City’s Circus Academy during the summer at Pier 40 along the Hudson River, and in the colder months in Brooklyn. Classes feature a full-sized trapeze rig, aerial hoops, and stunning views of the city at their Pier 40 location. Participants in the program say come prepared to work hard and challenge yourself, but that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?
You don’t have to go that far afield for fun. Grab your best girlfriends, because nothing guarantees a trip full of laughter quite like a girls’ getaway. At The Resort at Pelican Hill, the aptly named “Girlfriend Getaway” package sweetens the escape with a generous $300 daily spa credit (yes, please!). But the real magic is the location: perfectly perched between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, putting a world of fun just minutes away. Rent bikes from 20th Street Beach & Bikes and explore the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve along its many biking trails. Later, trade your bike helmet for dancing shoes.
A study from Harvard Medical School found that dancing can reduce the risk of dementia by an impressive 76%, more than any other physical activity. Why? It’s the ultimate brain workout: You’re moving your body while memorizing steps, patterns, and rhythms. With that bit of research in mind, head to the Sandpiper Lounge in Laguna Beach, affectionately known as the “Dirty Bird,” a beloved hangout where live music keeps the dancing and laughter going seven nights a week, 365 days a year. Just be sure to call an Uber...trust us on this one.
Back on property, take advantage of that spa credit! “Wellness is as much about joy and connection as it is about rejuvenation,” says Nichole Hester, director of spa. “We consistently see how meaningful social interactions and genuinely enjoyable experiences help activate the body’s natural ‘love chemicals,’ deepening relaxation and enhancing overall wellbeing.”
