How do we stop guilt from getting in the way of having FUN?

“I’m not sure I deserve this.”
“I feel selfish.”
“I should be doing something more productive.”
“I have too much to do. I don’t have time for fun.”

Does that voice sound familiar?

Maybe it’s yours.
Maybe it’s your friends’.

Have we normalized guilt?

96% of women report feeling guilty at least once a day — about:

• Parenting

• Work

• Taking personal time

• Not “doing enough” for others

Has guilt become so common that we mistake it for:

• Responsibility

• Maturity

• Being a “good person”

And here’s the real question…

Have we developed a guilt habit that has replaced our fun habit?

In this episode, Treena sits down with Dr. Jody Carrington to unpack why joy can feel vulnerable, why burnout is often a lack of refueling (not a lack of productivity), and how guilt quietly steals our energy, creativity, and connection.

If you are done with guilt bossing you around, this conversation will help you:

• Understand where guilt actually comes from

• Recognize the cost of living in it daily

• Reclaim stillness, movement, and connection

• Put a big red STOP sign in front of guilt

“Burnout isn’t a function of the work you do. It’s a function of your ability to refuel.” — Jody

Special heartfelt thank you to Dr. Jody and sharing all her wisdom ❤️

https://www.drjodycarrington.com/

https://www.drjodycarrington.com/podcast

**

✨ Loved this episode? Share it with a friend who needs more fun in their life, subscribe to the podcast, and join the FUN Movement.

****

Join the Global Fun Movement on my email list and get monthly tools, stories, and psychology-backed ways to spark joy and live lively:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.minddoodles.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎵 Music by Allstar musicians Per Hoffman and David Hilton Clark

Treena Innes, Your Life Fun Expert, helping you have more fun in life or the workplace.

www.minddoodles.ca

[email protected]

Has your relationship slowly shifted from laughter, fun and flirting… to dishwashers and Netflix debates?

You’re not alone.

In this episode of the Finding Fun Experiment, Treena Innes explores why play, laughter, and improv—not fancy dinners or flowers—are the real secret sauce to reigniting connection, intimacy, and desire in long-term relationships.

Learn how to find that fun again in your relationship ❤️

Joined by applied improv facilitator Sara McMahon, creator of the Playdate Deck, this conversation dives into how playful habits rebuild emotional safety, spark desire, and bring couples back into sync—without pressure or awkward “date night rules.”

🎧 In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why relationships lose spark over time (and why it’s normal)

• The early warning signs your spark is fading—and how to catch it sooner

• Simple improv-inspired tools to rebuild play, laughter, and intimacy

If you want more closeness, more laughter, and more spark—this episode shows why fun is a must-have.

About the Guest: Sara McMahon, Adventures in Paper and Play www.saradelighted.com IG saradelighted YouTube saradelighted

Playful Partnership Coaching

https://www.saradelighted.com/playfulpartners

The Playdate Deck

https://www.saradelighted.com/the-playdate-deck-new

Viola Spolin

https://www.violaspolin.org/

The Periodic Table of Improvisation

https://www.periodictableofimprov.com/

✨ Loved this episode? Share it with a friend who needs more fun in their life, subscribe to the podcast, and join the FUN Movement.

****

Join the Global Fun Movement on my email list and get monthly tools, stories, and psychology-backed ways to spark joy and live lively:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.minddoodles.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎵 Music by Allstar musicians Per Hoffman and David Hilton Clark

Treena Innes, Your Life Fun Expert, helping you have more fun in life or the workplace.

www.minddoodles.ca

[email protected]

“Fun begins in the body, not the brain.”
“If you’re stuck in your head… fun can’t find you.”

Do you want more fun in your life—but feel like your mind is the biggest obstacle?

This powerful Ask Me Anything episode of the Finding Fun Experiment Podcast explores how living in your head quietly disconnects you from joy, play, energy, and aliveness.

Host Treena Innes, Life Fun Expert, coaches Jennifer—a mom, modern medium, and deeply intuitive woman—through the real reason fun feels hard: overthinking, self-analysis, and mental looping that blocks people from being present in their bodies and in their lives.

This conversation is a mirror for so many adults who are:

• Highly thoughtful

• Deep feelers

• Big thinkers

• Constant planners

And wondering why fun feels so far away.

This episode reveals a truth many people don’t realize:

👉 You don’t lose fun because you’re too busy.
👉 You lose fun because you’re too mentally occupied.

When you live in your head:

• You analyze instead of experience

• You plan instead of play

• You overprocess instead of move

Jennifer shares how being highly mental and intuitive keeps her disconnected from her body—and how that disconnection blocks fun, spontaneity, and joy.

🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• Why being “in your head” shuts down play and pleasure

• How mental looping creates emotional exhaustion

• Why fun requires embodiment, not thinking

🔑 Tools to Get Out of Your Head and Back Into Your Life

Treena shares simple, neuroscience-aligned practices to break the overthinking loop and reconnect with fun:

1️⃣ The “Why Not” Rewire

Overthinkers ask why.
Fun lives in why not.

2️⃣ The Two-Second Rule

Your brain will always talk you out of fun.

So don’t give it time.

3️⃣ Private Play (Don’t Tell Anyone)

Fear of judgment keeps people stuck in their heads.

💡 Core Truth of This Episode

Fun is not a mindset problem.
It’s an embodiment problem.

You don’t think your way into joy.
You move your way into it.
You feel your way into it.
You live your way into it.

Fun lives in:

• Movement

• Presence

• Sensation

• Curiosity

• Play

• Energy

• The nervous system

• The body

Not the brain.

About the Guest: Jennifer is a warm, compassionate loving woman (picture, warm cozy gigantic long hugs!) who is part of Modern Medium https://themodernmedium.ca/ and you can follow here instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sessionswithspirit/

✨ Loved this episode? Share it with a friend who needs more fun in their life, subscribe to the podcast, and join the FUN Movement.

****

Join the Global Fun Movement on my email list and get monthly tools, stories, and psychology-backed ways to spark joy and live lively:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.minddoodles.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎵 Music by Allstar musicians Per Hoffman and David Hilton Clark

Treena Innes, Your Life Fun Expert, helping you have more fun in life or the workplace.

www.minddoodles.ca

[email protected]

Welcome back to another 'Laugh to Death' lively conversation.

Treena Innes sits down with author, speaker, and “mortality mindset” expert Jodi Wellman (You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets) for a laugh-out-loud, deeply human conversation about why adults stop having fun—and what it’s costing our health, joy, and aliveness.

This episode is packed with “WHAT THE?!” moments, playful stories, and science-backed insights that will make you rethink guilt, productivity, and why fun keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list.

• Why fun, play, and laughter are often the first things adults sacrifice

• The surprising research showing what happens when adults stop playing

• Why novelty (even tiny shifts) boosts mood, energy, and vitality

• The difference between habits vs. rituals—and why rituals help us feel more alive

• How to create fun without waiting for vacations, permission, or “someday”

This episode is for you if:
✨ You feel stuck in routine
✨ You struggle with guilt around fun
✨ You want more joy, energy, and spark—without adding more to your plate
✨ You’re ready to stop saving your life for later

🎧 Press play if you’re ready to laugh, rethink, and remember how to feel alive again. How to have more fun!

About the Guest:
Jodi Wellman is an author, speaker, and expert in using mortality awareness as motivation for living fully. Her book You Only Die Once helps people wake up to what matters most—and actually do something about it.

👉 Learn more at: https://www.fourthousandmondays.com

✨ Loved this episode?
Share it with a friend who needs more fun in their life, subscribe to the podcast, and join the FUN Movement.

****

Join the Global Fun Movement on my email list and get monthly tools, stories, and psychology-backed ways to spark joy and live lively:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.minddoodles.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎵 Music by Allstar musicians Per Hoffman and David Hilton Clark

Treena Innes, Your Life Fun Expert, helping you have more fun in life or the workplace.

www.minddoodles.ca

[email protected]

How to Have more Fun? Go Play!

Adult Play Isn’t Silly—It’s a Health Strategy (with Toni Christopher + Sarah McMahon)

In this episode, I’m on a mission:
To help you have an aha about adult play—and stop treating it like it’s frivolous, childish, or a waste of time.

Because play isn’t extra.
Play is necessary.

To help us get there, I brought in the forces (yes, the forces!):

Toni Christopher — Executive Director of the National Institute for Play, a nonprofit advocating for society’s understanding and application of play. Toni shares research, play science, and why play matters far more than we’ve been taught.

Sarah McMahon — Actress, improv educator, relationship coach (Playful Partnerships), and creator of the Playdate Deck, a card deck designed to help adults bring play into relationships in real-life ways.

The opposite of play isn’t work… it’s depression.

Yep. Toni drops that truth—and backs it with what research says happens when adults stop playing:

• increased stress impact

• less flexibility (emotionally and mentally)

• more rigidity

• more pessimism

• more risk of depression

And the beautiful news?
Play is retrainable. If you’ve lost it—you can get it back.

• Play lives in older brain systems (with emotion)

• As we age, our cortex (“the general”) gets wired with rules, responsibility, and filters

• We start filtering out play with “not now” thinking: time, money, mess, fear, what people think

Plus—many adults didn’t grow up with much free play, which makes it harder to access naturally later.

👫 What Play Changes in Relationships

Sarah shares what she sees in couples: play is intimate. And when it disappears, connection fades.

• Fear of rejection (initiating play feels vulnerable)

• Digital distractions

• Mismatched timing

• Mental load + stress

• Different “cultures of play” (you and your partner may have learned play differently)

Sarah teaches improv skills that strengthen relationships.🎴 The Playdate Deck Game We Played

Game 1: That’s Awesome (Appetizer)

Say something true (small or big).
Everyone responds: “That’s awesome!” + fist bump.

Why it works: It builds trust, acceptance, and relational safety—and creates a playful container.

Give your partner a playful “award,” accept it, then say:
“I couldn’t have done it without you…”
…and continue with playful praise (or let it get heartfelt if it naturally does).

Create a shared “remember when” story—about something you never actually did.
Each person adds a detail (“yes, and…”).

Why it works: You’re building a positive memory on purpose—and your brain starts wiring play + connection together.

***

If this episode sparked something in you — or reminded you of someone who could use more fun, joy, and aliveness — send it to them today.

Join the Global Fun Movement on my email list and get monthly tools, stories, and psychology-backed ways to spark joy and live lively:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.minddoodles.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎵 Music by Allstar musicians Per Hoffman and David Hilton Clark

👉 Follow and subscribe to this podcast for more weekly guests and stories to help you crack the code to health, wellness, and FUN.

Treena Innes, Your Life Fun Expert

www.minddoodles.ca

[email protected]

***

Thank you to our special guests:

National Institute for Play website www.nifplay.org 

Subscribe to our newsletter or, more generally, follow the institute https://nifplay.org/subscribe/ 

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/playinstitute/ 

Linkedin  https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-national-institute-for-play/

https://www.saradelighted.com/playfulpartners

The Playdate Deck

https://www.saradelighted.com/the-playdate-deck

Anyone local to Seattle, here is the link for upcoming couple's workshop

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/improv-date-night-registration-1608081267359?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

🎧 Make 2026 Your Year of Fun

What would it look like to make fun, laughter, and play a must-have—not a nice-to-have?

The Year of Fun isn’t a resolution that fizzles by February.
It’s a practice.
A necessity.
A health strategy.

Fun is good for your body, your mind, and your performance at work and in life.
It builds energy, resilience, and vibrancy—so when life gets hard (and it will), your cup is already full.

We talk about physical health.
We talk about mental health.
It’s time we start normalizing Fun Health.

And the truth is—fun looks different for everyone, and it changes with every stage of life.
Your Year of Fun isn’t about doing more.
It’s about feeling more alive in the life you already have.

No guilt.
No judgment.
No Instagram fun comparisons.

Because you deserve to feel alive, passionate, and vibrant—and so do the people you impact.

Fun is a lifelong experiment.
It evolves with you.

Thanks for being a Fun Fan and helping grow the Global FUN Movement.
Now let’s make this year YOUR Year of Fun 🎉

***

If this episode sparked something in you — or reminded you of someone who could use more fun, joy, and aliveness — send it to them today.

Join the Global Fun Movement on my email list and get monthly tools, stories, and psychology-backed ways to spark joy and live lively:

⁠⁠⁠⁠www.minddoodles.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎵 Music by Allstar musicians Per Hoffman and David Hilton Clark

👉 Follow and subscribe to this podcast for more weekly guests and stories to help you crack the code to health, wellness, and FUN.

Treena Innes, Your Life Fun Expert

www.minddoodles.ca

[email protected]

Helping people and organizations find more fun in their lives or workplaces to improve their health, wellness and performance.

How to have more fun---even as a workaholic.

Do you ever catch yourself saying things like. "I don’t have time for fun.”
“Work is my fun.”
“I’ll relax once things settle down.”
“Fun can wait… maybe when I retire.”

If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

Today, we’re digging into the W word: workaholic.
And the truth might surprise you…

Research shows 15–30% of adults display workaholic tendencies—and the impact is real.

• 30% report sleep problems and chronic exhaustion

• Workaholics are 3x more likely to burn out

• Higher rates of anxiety, headaches, stomach issues, and muscle tension

• And… 56% say they simply “don’t have time for fun”

Fun friend, that breaks my heart—because fun isn’t optional. It’s fuel.

🎧 Meet Today’s Guest: Marc Mawhinney

My guest today is Marc Mawhinney:

• Coach, business mentor, and longtime host of the Natural Born Coaches podcast

• Self-proclaimed workaholic (his own words!)

Marc joins me for a deeply honest conversation about his own work habits, guilt patterns, mindset loops, and the challenge of letting fun back into life when work feels all-consuming.

🧠 What We Explore in This Episode:

• The real definition of workaholism
And why it’s not just about hours worked—it’s the mental inability to turn off.

• How guilt, productivity pressure, and “I should be working” loops sabotage fun
Marc shares how even reading a book at 7pm triggers an internal “lazy” alarm.

***

If this episode sparked something in you — or reminded you of someone who could use more fun, joy, and aliveness — send it to them today.

Join the Global Fun Movement on my email list and get monthly tools, stories, and psychology-backed ways to spark joy and live lively:

⁠⁠⁠⁠www.minddoodles.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎵 Music by Allstar musicians Per Hoffman and David Hilton Clark

👉 Follow and subscribe to this podcast for more weekly guests and stories to help you crack the code to health, wellness, and FUN.

How to have fun?  Kick getting judged to the curb!

Are you holding yourself back from fun because you worry about feeling awkward, embarrassed, or judged?

You’re not alone — almost 70% of adults avoid fun because they’re afraid of what other people will think.

In this episode, we dig into why judgement is the #1 fun killer (hint: it’s not lack of time)…

and 3 simple tools you can use to kick that judgie feeling to the curb so you can get back to your FUN.

You’ll learn 3 game-changing habits:
✨ The Two-Second Rule
✨ The “Say It Out Loud” fear-shrinker
✨ Describing yourself differently

Try just one this week and watch your confidence grow.

If this episode sparked something in you, share it with a friend who needs more fun, less fear, and a lot less judgement.

Take the Just How Lively Are You? Quiz at https://form.typeform.com/to/cHJJtiOM

***

If this episode sparked something in you — or reminded you of someone who could use more fun, joy, and aliveness — send it to them today.

Join the Global Fun Movement on my email list and get monthly tools, stories, and psychology-backed ways to spark joy and live lively:

⁠⁠⁠www.minddoodles.ca⁠⁠⁠

🎵 Music by Allstar musicians Per Hoffman and David Hilton Clark

👉 Follow and subscribe to this podcast for more weekly guests and stories to help you crack the code to health, wellness, and FUN.

The Doctor’s Prescription: More Fun, Less Stress.

Knowing that FUN has a mountain of health rewards like:

* Managing Stress

* Reducing Burnout

* Improving Digestion... and even sleep!

💊 If fun could be prescribed in a pill, would you take it every day? 

What would the side effects be?

*improved resilience

*anti-aging, improved vitality

*reduction of anxiety

Doctors know the science of health, but how do they manage stress and burnout themselves? And what happens when they prescribe fun, laughter, and play to their patients?

🎧 In this must-listen episode, real physicians open up about:

✅ Fun is being overlooked in wellness.

✅ Moral dilemmas hinder prioritizing fun.

✅ Why fun is essential(not optional!) for stress relief

Science-backed fact: Fun can lower blood pressure, improve immunity, and even reduce pain. So why aren’t we prioritizing it?

Be the first to listen & don’t miss this game-changing episode to benefit your health and wellness.

***

If this episode sparked something in you — or reminded you of someone who could use more fun, joy, and aliveness — send it to them today.

Join the Global Fun Movement on my email list and get monthly tools, stories, and psychology-backed ways to spark joy and live lively:

⁠⁠www.minddoodles.ca⁠⁠

🎵 Music by Allstar musicians Per Hoffman and David Hilton Clark

👉 Follow and subscribe to this podcast for more weekly guests and stories to help you crack the code to health, wellness, and FUN.

Ever wondered how many Mondays you have left to live? 😳
Or why we keep saying “why?” instead of “why not?” when it comes to fun, joy, and actually living?

In this powerful (and laugh-filled) episode of The Finding Fun Experiment Podcast, Treena Innes sits down with author, speaker, and fun-spirit twin Jodi Wellman, creator of the Mondays Left to Live Calculator and author of You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End With No Regrets.

This episode will make you laugh… and then immediately rethink how you’re spending your life.

Jodi breaks down the research on aliveness, vitality, and meaning — and why 85% of adults are not living as fully as they think they are.

Treena challenges Jodie to track how many times she says why versus why not.
The results? Hilarious… and painfully relatable.

Treena shares how discovering a brand-new element in the Middle East changed her sense of vitality — and how yours can too.

This episode reframes death as the wake-up call we all need.

• You’re feeling stuck, flat, or low-spark

• You want to live more vibrantly (but keep putting it off)

• You’re committed to living a regret-free life

“You only die once. So why aren’t we living while we’re alive?” — Jodi

Special thank you to Jodi for bringing her laughing A game and reminding us to live life right now.

You will love her book! https://fourthousandmondays.com/book/

And you have to see how many Mondays you have left to live it up: https://fourthousandmondays.com/resources/

***

If this episode sparked something in you — or reminded you of someone who could use more fun, joy, and aliveness — send it to them today.

Join the Global Fun Movement on my email list and get monthly tools, stories, and psychology-backed ways to spark joy and live lively:

⁠www.minddoodles.ca⁠

🎵 Music by Allstar musicians Per Hoffman and David Hilton Clark

👉 Follow and subscribe to this podcast for more weekly guests and stories to help you crack the code to health, wellness, and FUN.