Life is least ‘fun’ at the age of 45.
A study of 2,000 Brits found having no responsibilities, more energy and being able to be as carefree as you please means our younger years are more enjoyable.
More than half agreed finding amusement in everyday life gets harder as you get older, with four in 10 going as far as to say they left the concept of fun behind with their childhood.
Just 41 per cent actively pursue fun in their day-to-day lives.
And almost one in 10 admitted to not finding any enjoyment at all during their typical week, as they’re unable to afford it, don’t have the energy or simply don’t know how to have fun.
The study, commissioned by Cineworld, also found three fifths of adults would like to rediscover a youthful sense of fun and two fifths even said that they wished they were still a youngster.
Steve McKeown, psychoanalyst and owner of ‘The McKeown Clinic’, said: “As adults, we find it easy to get bogged down in the mundane parts of life and forget to set aside time to have fun.
“From the research, we can see that a lot of Brits simply don’t know where to start when it comes to having fun, but it could be as simple as just spending more time with our loved ones.
“It is because of their often more heightened sense of imagination and ability to act without worry of what people might think, that children are free to embrace the fun side of life.
“With psychological benefits including reduced stress and increased happiness, spending time together as a family is a great way to inject that sense of childish fun back into our lives.”
The study also found two fifths of adults can’t afford to have fun but that spending more time with our families could be the key to helping them rediscover their youth.
Almost one quarter believe quality family time would help them have more fun.
In addition, 83 per cent of those polled, via OnePoll, even admitted they have more fun with youngsters than they do with adults.
It also emerged watching kids’ films, talking in silly voices and dancing around to music like no one’s watching are among the top ways which help grown-ups connect with their younger selves.
Casey Cohen, from Cineworld, added: “It is clear Brits want to embrace their inner child and have more fun.
“One quarter of Brits said that they try to go to cinema to have more fun, but cite not having enough money as a key reason they don’t make time for doing things they enjoy.
“But with the Cineworld family ticket, adults can see some of their favourite films for the price of a regular child ticket, so everyone’s a winner.
“Not only does this make it easier for adults to have more fun, but it helps Brits spend more time with their families, a sure way to keep everyone’s inner child alive.”
ENDS
