Ever since I shared my 4 Lessons in 4 Years video, one moment keeps coming up in conversations:

That part where I said mental health can be fun.

Some people nodded. Others looked at me like I’d just told them journaling could cure a headache. 

Fair. 

I probably would’ve had the same reaction a few years ago.

But I want to explain what I meant and how it connects to something I’ve been wondering about a lot lately: Can you burn out from doing too much self-work?

Because healing is hard. But if that’s the only lens we see it through, we burn out. We start to think we’re failing just because we’re tired. And we forget that joy is a valid part of recovery.

So today I want to look at how fun might be the thing that helps us keep going. 

Because if we can burn out from too much self-work, maybe the antidote isn't more work. Maybe it's joy

Are We Doing Too Much "Work" on Ourselves?

You hear it everywhere: do the work. And I get it. There are parts of healing that require real effort.

But what happens when the work never ends?

A 2021 interview from Columbia University Irving Medical Center explored something called "self-care fatigue"—the emotional burnout that can come from constantly trying to maintain mental wellness. Read the article here.

The article highlights how even self-care can start to feel like pressure, especially when it becomes another thing we expect ourselves to do perfectly.

It makes sense. When everything becomes a checklist for growth, it’s easy to lose track of why we started in the first place.

Healing turns into homework. Mental wellness becomes another job.

So where does fun fit in?

The Science of Enjoyment

Research shows that when something is enjoyable, we’re more likely to stick with it.

It becomes sustainable, not just seasonal. Psychology researcher Barbara Fredrickson calls this the 'broaden-and-build (learn more)' theory—positive emotions expand our awareness, boost resilience, and make us more likely to keep going. In other words, the more enjoyable something feels, the more it sticks.

Put simply: if it feels good, we’ll want to keep doing it.

And fun doesn’t mean careless. It means alive. Curious. Open. That energy isn’t a distraction from healing, it’s what makes it possible to keep going.

So now that we know why fun matters, let’s talk about how to actually make it part of your mental health practice.

3 Ways to Make Mental Health Fun (and Still Meaningful)

This part of the blog came together after a lot of trial and error in my own life.

I’ve spent years collecting ideas from books, workshops, and real conversations through my work in Peer Support, then remixing them into something that felt more like me.

Hopefully, it gives you a starting point (or maybe even the thing you've been looking for).

1. Try Something New (Especially If It Feels Weird)

When we’re stuck, our nervous systems get used to the same inputs. Trying something new is a way to shake that up.

You don’t need to spend money or plan a big event. Just shake up your routine with something simple and different:

• Walk a new route through your neighbourhood
• Watch a movie you’ve never heard of
• Write a letter to your future self
• Rearrange your room or your desktop icons
• Sit in a café and people-watch without your phone

These tiny acts of novelty remind your brain that life is still full of possibility and they cost next to nothing.

2. Create Your Own Practices

I’ve been an avid journaler for years (off and on).

I tried every method, prompt, and morning routine hack I could find, always looking for that one new thing that would finally stick. Then one day, I asked myself: how do these practices even get made? And could I make one myself?

That’s how I created the 7-day journaling challenge I now share with others.

I pulled together ideas from different books, workshops, and lived experience, then shaped something that actually fit how I think and reflect.

Here’s how I did it, step-by-step:

1. I gathered the tools I liked from other methods, prompts, reflection questions, structure, etc..
2. I looked at what felt forced or unhelpful and set those aside.
3. I paid attention to how I actually think and process.
4. I combined the useful pieces into something that felt intuitive for me.
5. I tested it, refined it, and eventually turned it into something I liked.

You can do that too.

Whether it’s meditation, movement, breathwork, or something else. Learn from others, then make it your own.

3. Make It a Game

If the word "practice" feels too heavy, try turning your mental health habits into a game.

Gamifying your well-being adds just enough structure to make things satisfying without making it feel like a chore.

• Give yourself points for going outside, drinking water, or texting a friend back
• Create a bingo card of feel-good actions and see if you can get a line by Sunday
• Challenge a friend to a “kindness duel” where you try to out-nice each other for a week

You’re still doing the work, you’re just doing it in a way that feels playful.

That little shift can turn "obligation" into motivation.

Final Thought

Mental health is serious. But that doesn’t mean it has to be somber.

Letting fun in doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re building a life that includes joy, not one that puts it off until you’re "healed enough."

How do you make mental health fun? Anything I missed that you’d add to the list? What's one fun thing you can do for your mental health this week? Feel free to reach out via email, socials, whatever works for you.

And if you know someone who could use a little lightness on their mental wellness journey, pass this along.

Until next time—I'm Jeff, Take care of yourself, however that looks to you.