#221 Silliness and Joyful Living

As if our lives were not crazy already, there now is a ton of added stress in the world today. With the pandemic, crashing finances, and no racial awakening, people are more serious now than ever. We need to pay attention to these things and take care of business, but that doesn’t mean we have to be all work and no play. As Leslyn shares, all work and no play keep your smiles at bay. In this episode, Leslie and Leslyn want to lighten the mood and talk about the joys of living with a little bit of silliness. Leslie and Leslyn also discuss some of the way that they are letting loose and some of the things that you can implement into your life to lighten up!

In this episode, we discuss…

Show Intro [0:00]

Introductions—Being Silly [0:13]

Start of the Podcast [0:51]

Using Playfulness to Cope [2:47]

Leslyn’s TikTok [6:58]

Dadosaur and Grandpa Monster [9:25]

Research Behind Being Playful [11:38]

Some Jokes to Share [12:34]

Facebook Riddles [16:32]

Act Like a Kid [17:15]

Share and Touch Base with Us! [20:33]

Don’t Be So Serious [20:56]

Funny TikTok Mentions [25:51]

Board and Yard Games [28:59]

Leslyn’s Meet Up Group [34:13]

Try This at Home! [36:02]

Closing Thoughts [37:37]

Next Week! [38:09]

Outro [38:30]

Episode Notes:

Leslie and Leslyn agreed that the podcast needed an episode about something lighter. Our playfulness and silliness often are tampered down when we are adults. We are often told we are supposed to grow up and get serious. Leslyn points out that for some, this can actually bury a part of our personality that we use to cope with things. For the episode, Leslie had the idea of picking a few things on how they are each silly and living joyfully. These days, Leslyn is trying to be more fun and let go, so she created a TikTok!

The majority of Leslyn’s TikTok’s are inspirational tidbits on how to communicate or have a better relationship. The essence of TikTok though is to have fun and be silly. Leslyn shares about a TikTok account where Dadosaur came to be and went viral. The father in the account acts silly when his children tell him to become Dadosaur. Leslie shares that her father actually does something similar with her children. Anytime Leslie’s kids shout Grandpa Monster, her Dad will pretend that he’s a monster and be super silly with his grandkids.

Leslyn shares that researchers have begun to investigate playfulness and its impact on our lives. People who exhibit high levels of playfulness seem to be those who are predisposed to being spontaneous, outgoing, fun loving, and lighthearted. These people also are usually more capable to cope with stress, more likely to report active lifestyles, and are even more likely to succeed academically! Playfulness is something that seems to be really positive and something that adults should be allowing themselves to take part in.

Leslie and Leslyn share a few jokes in the episode that you can share with those that you love as well! For Leslie, she offers the ways that she has allowed herself to be sillier. Leslie allows herself to be a kid sometimes. She watches Disney movies as background noise at work and plays with her kids in the kiddie pool and at the creek getting in the water and having fun with them. She tries not to be just a bystander to all these fun experiences but instead tries to remember that she’s not too old to do those things with her kids. Leslyn adds that the whole point is to not be so serious and is actually one of the suggestions in her book.

Leslie also tries to be goofy and less serious with her husband and have more lighthearted experiences in their relationship. Leslyn shares one of her favorite memories with her late husband was when he was dancing, and he thought he had the moves and had no cares about what anyone thought about it. Having these moments of silliness helps not only the person doing it but also in the connections with our loved ones.

Some other ways that you can be sillier and let loose are by playing board and yard games. For Leslyn, being silly is not being afraid to let it all hang out. Leslie and Leslyn share some of their favorite board games and some of the yard games that they have been playing with family and friends. Taking the moments to play with family and friends is incredibly important to give opportunities to laugh, have bonding experiences, and reduce stress!

This week’s Try This at Home is to make sure that you make some time to lighten up. Find moments in everyday to be a little silly, tell a dumb joke, or dance a little! Next week’s episode, Leslie and Leslyn will be sharing six interesting products that they cannot live without!

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Next Week’s Episode: 6 of our Favorite Products!

One of our goals this year is to grow the podcast audience and you can help!

We would truly appreciate a share or a shout out if you found the ideas here helpful.

Don’t forget, you can always touch base with us personally on our Facebook, Instagram, and our website trythisathomepodcast.com

Links to Look At:

Leslyn’s Book | Be Happier, Healthier, and More Productive: 365 Inspiring Ideas

[https://www.amazon.com/Happier-Healthier-More-Productive-Inspiring/dp/1733402004]

America’s Funniest Home Videos

[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_zEzzq54Rm0iy7lmmZbCIg]

Dadosaur on TikTok

[https://www.tiktok.com/@frankiemannella?lang=en]