GRACE'S MUSINGS: F*** it’s all about fun

Photo source: The Guardian

On Australian news show The Project recently, the brilliant Gillian Anderson was asked where she saw herself right now.

Presenter Sarah Harris had heard that the actress and writer was in her “F*** it, I’m-gonna-have-fun era”. So what was Anderson’s reply?

“I know quite a few women who are at a certain time in their life, around mid-fifties to sixties, who are really questioning, ‘Is this it?’” she said. And her advice? “F*** it. Just have fun. Why not?”

I couldn’t agree more. Anderson’s suggestions – “Do what you want: start a business, go back to school, go on a journey, go travelling” – are spot on. We need more joy, creativity and learning at this stage in our journey.

Anderson expanded on this in an interview with The Guardian back in August. “There are more and more women who are saying, ‘F*** it. Even though I’m 60, I’m going to start something new.

A new business, a new relationship, a new venture. I don’t know if it’s going to succeed or fail, but I’m having fun.’ And the narrative that we’re building around it is, ‘Embrace it! Don’t run away, run towards it!’”

I’m all for running towards a challenge, as those of you who know me will attest. And fun is something I could always do with more of.

As midlife women, it’s important we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Make more time for things that bring laughter and enjoyment. That’s the way to keep the soul light.

We can get so hyper-focused on the serious stuff in our lives that we forget about joy. Often, we need to take a step back in order to realise what’s important – and maybe that’s simply a sense of playfulness.

It’s vital in midlife to be whimsical, to do something just because you enjoy it. It matters just as much as thriving at work.

When’s the last time you danced around your kitchen to a track you love? Watched a movie that made you laugh? Shared an evening with your girlfriends? Did something creative like art, embroidery or knitting? Got into a flow state, so that all your worries faded into the background?

From a health perspective, if you can pull back from stress and take yourself less seriously, you’ll lower your blood pressure and your cortisol levels, switch from fight or flight to rest and repair. And you’ll have a good time in the process.

Bring some fun into your life. Your heart will thank you for it.