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Alfie Lawson (he/him/his), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

We have all experienced feeling guilty after having fun on some level. An uneasiness towards the simple act of relaxation, it’s ingrained in all of us. Whether you’re watching TV and finding it hard to switch off or you regret doing an activity you enjoy because you have other responsibilities, it’s a very human response. 

Is guilt that’s caused by fun something that should concern you, though? Honestly, no. Well, for the most part, probably not.

Guilt is an emotional response that sweeps over people easily, and in several forms. For some, trying to relax can trigger feelings of anxiety, whilst others might beat themselves up for not being productive. More often, I fall into the latter category—there is always something that, in my mind, I could be doing instead that’s a more valuable use of my time.

This might sound like more of an adult problem, but I can remember feeling guilty after having fun as a kid. To an extent, it’s instilled in people at an early age. We could be doing homework instead of gaming, chores over playing outside or, as teenagers, searching for a part-time job as an alternative to a whole host of more enjoyable things.

Perhaps it even fuels a collective unease in later life, where responsibilities and productivity are a greater priority. Our hobbies are fulfilling, but are they really the best use of our time? We’re now working to build careers, as well as a whole life for ourselves, so it takes more time and energy to sustain those things. That time and energy almost feels wasted if it’s not in a pursuit of self-improvement.

So, as a result, trying to relax can sometimes feel dirty. We’re guilty of having fun instead of being responsible, active members of society. Moreover, it’s far easier to feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. It might be survivors’ guilt, or just anxiety over being able to relax when so many others are suffering, depending on where you’re born or your circumstances in life.

It’s just a fact that we can’t control a lot of the things that happen in life, both within our own universe and around the world generally. So, if you experience guilt when trying to have fun, it can be very frustrating. Ideally, you want to be able to switch off, relax and balance that with fulfilling daily tasks and long-term notions of productive action.

Sadly, however, there is only so much time in the day. For me personally, some days I’ll set aside time to pursue a hobby, work on a project or plan something for the future, but I’ll get home from work and think, I. Just. Want. To. Crash. So I watch TV, or play video games, or go out with friends in order to switch my brain off. Subsequently, it feels like time wasted. On a subconscious level, I’m guilty of not being productive and being selfish. Because I chose to have fun. 

Even so, I know that’s wrong. Yes, we shouldn’t neglect our lives and exist only to goof off and be hedonistic, but there is a balance that everyone deserves to reach. Self-care is essential to our well-being. Sometimes that comes in the form of productive relaxation, such as a new hobby or a creative pursuit, but it can also just be having a good time with friends, or binging a TV show, or forgetting what time it is because you’re invested in something meaningless or daft. 

Everyone’s heard of the term “guilty pleasure” before. It can cover vast amounts of what many of us do to relax. It can be a rubbish TV show or another form of media not typically considered “highbrow,” or even something that feels slightly embarrassing to admit that we actually do. But it’s nonsense. 

Sometimes, we just need to reset, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Wasting time on things that are enjoyable or relaxing is not wasted time to us. It’s essential to who we are. And it’s important to remember that, as much as we may try to neatly organise our lives, having fun won’t always fit into a precise schedule. If you need to switch off and reset for a few days or a week after a stressful set of events, that’s fine. It’s also fine to invest heavily in being productive and then relax when the time feels right. 

To summarize, fun isn’t something that needs to be forced, and you shouldn’t feel bad when it is eventually time to commit to a so-called guilty pleasure. Just do you, and don’t forget to enjoy those moments when you’re having a great bloody time.

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