Making Fun Your Fuel

Doesn’t it feel like winter is dragging on and on? As we await the arrival of the summer sunshine, Laura Williams offers a much-needed reminder that even the gloomiest month can surprise you

It was simple, unexpectedly uplifting – and it involved free chips! If you know me well, you’ll know I moved to a whole new area in October 2022. Two years in, we’ve found great takeaways and a cracking bakery but the perfect pub? Still missing – until now…

There’s this one pub we’ve kept noticing, not on our usual route but impossible to miss, with its big Quiz Night sign. Every time we pass it, we say, ‘we should try that’. And after one too many grey and drizzly days, we finally decided to go for it!

Embracing a Little Fun

The pub was warm and cozy, the staff were great and Tess, our dog, lapped up loads of attention while we figured out where to sit without looking like total rookies. Regulars were already claiming their quiz spots and before we knew it, the mic-wielding quizmaster was asking for our team’s name and theme tune. We were in it then; out of our depth, slightly sweating and fully prepared to embarrass ourselves.

But let me tell you – it was epic!

The quiz had the perfect mix of ‘Oh my God, I know this!’ and wild guesses. Speed points kept things spicy, free chips during the break were top-tier bribery and for two glorious hours, the weight of everything else lifted! It was exactly the kind of night we didn’t know we needed. And we finished a respectable 12th out of 21!

But it wasn’t just about the quiz – it reminded me of something I’d been missing lately.

The magic of fun. Not the big, obvious, crazy kind but the small, easy-to-miss moments that make everything feel a little bit lighter. Fun can feel like the last thing you have time for – or worse, like it’s something you have to justify.

A Necessity Not a Luxury

But fun isn’t a luxury, it’s fuel. It’s what gives you the headspace, energy and perspective to handle whatever comes your way. The catch? Fun doesn’t just knock on the door with free chips (even though it would be cool if it did!) Most of the time, you’ve got to go and find it; especially when things around you are darker than usual (literally or metaphorically).

Being an SBL? It’s a lot. The responsibility you carry, the accountability you shoulder, and the constant juggling act is crazy. I know you’ve got people relying on you and I know how relentless it can be. You’re spinning plates, answering endless questions and putting out fires before most people have even had a coffee. But here’s the thing – you can’t keep running on empty.

You need to make space for yourself. Not because it’s a nice-to-have, but because it’s how you keep going without completely losing it! Do something that makes you laugh – like, properly laugh. Step away from the chaos for five minutes, shut the door and just breathe. Think about how you can sneak a bit more fun into your week, even if it’s something small or totally ridiculous.

Because when you take care of yourself and make time for yourself, you show up sharper, stronger and ready to take on whatever’s next. And that version of you? Absolute legend.