Yahoo Lifestyle The Genius Mental Health Hack You Haven't Heard of Yet
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You’ve heard the phrase “turn lemons into lemonade,” right? Having fun and looking on the bright side of something is a smart way to handle uncertainties, according to psychologists. In fact, researchers embraced this idea in a new study and coined the term “lemonading” when they published their results last month. Now, the idea has taken on a life of its own as more people tout the benefits of lemonading.
Here's everything you need to know:
What exactly is lemonading?
“‘Lemonading' is at the heart of playful reframing where we approach challenges with playful curiosity rather than just resignation,” says Xiangyou (Sharon) Shen, Ph.D., assistant professor in The Health, Environment, and Leisure (HEAL) Lab in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University’s College of Forestry and coauthor of the study. “It's not simply about forcing positivity, but engaging with difficulties through a playful lens that opens up new possibilities.” Essentially, lemonading all about the way you view a problem. If you look at it with an open mind and consider the fun, whimsical or enjoyable aspects of it, that may give you a little mental health boost.
What did the study say?
Shen says she and her colleague found three main takeaways from their research:
Playful individuals are just as realistic about difficulties as others, but they're better at envisioning positive possibilities within those challenges.
Playful people adapt more creatively — finding flexible ways to maintain meaningful activities despite constraints.
These people also experience everyday moments with greater quality and depth of enjoyment.
So, how can “lemonading” help?
“Playful reframing creates psychological space between ourselves and our challenges,” says Shen. “It enables cognitive flexibility that allows us to see beyond our initial reactions and identify alternative pathways forward.” It’s not about faking it or pretending something isn’t happening. If you lost your job, for instance, that really sucks — you don’t have to tell yourself everything is fine and dandy. But when you “make lemonade,” you allow yourself to see other, more positive possibilities that might end up happening.
“We call this 'lemonading' — not just making the best of a situation, but transforming ordinary experiences into something richer and more fulfilling,” says Shen. “Importantly, playfulness doesn't distort reality like a pair of rose-tinted glasses — it's more like having a spotlight that illuminates opportunities for enjoyable and quality engagement and take actions to realize those possibilities with creativity and flexibility, all while maintaining a clear view of the reality.” Maybe the loss of your job will give you more time to do arts and crafts or go hiking with your kids — that won’t make up for lost income, but it could be an enjoyable outcome.
What are some situations when “lemonading” might be a good idea?
“We found playful reframing beneficial for navigating ambiguous challenges, particularly those with high degrees of uncertainties like unexpected life transitions or interpersonal conflicts,” says Shen. “These situations provide lots of room for creative imagination beyond just positive thinking, allowing those most playful individual to find creative solutions.” That could include things like going through a breakup, starting a new career, moving to a different home or even having someone cancel plans on you.
Lemonading might be especially helpful when you’re guiding a child through something tough like making friends, welcoming a new baby to the family or attending a new school. “Try getting on the floor and adapting to their environment,” says Asha Tarry, LMSW, psychotherapist, certified life coach and author of Adulting as a Millennial. “Therapists implement play as a means of communicating with children. It allows us to enter into their imagination and get a glimpse as to how they process emotions and ideas.”
Are there any times when “lemonading” is probably not the best strategy?
Yes! “While playful reframing is valuable in many circumstances, it's not immediately helpful during emotionally charged conflicts or in the acute stages of grief or trauma,” says Shen. “In heated family disagreements, for instance, attempting to reframe the situation before emotions have been addressed can feel dismissive to the other person. Similarly, during times of serious loss or trauma, immediate attempts at reframing can invalidate someone's necessary grief process.” That said, lemonading could be helpful at a later time when these situations have developed and everyone’s emotions have settled a bit. “Think of it as a sequence: honor feelings and connect emotionally first, then explore new perspectives together,” suggests Shen.
Are there ways to practice “lemonading”?
“This approach is definitely a skill that can be developed, like building any healthy habit,” says Shen. “While some people might naturally tend toward this mindset, we believe that anyone can strengthen this ability through practice. It's similar to building patience or mindfulness — the more you practice, the more naturally it comes to you over time.” Try these strategies to become a better lemonader and infuse more fun into your daily life:
Allow your mind to take a break.
“We have to first start with letting things go and make room for new experiences,” says Tarry. It’s hard to have fun and think playfully when we have a million things running through our mind. “Our brains need time off from thinking,” she adds.
Plan to have fun.
Take a few moments to write down a list of things you liked to do when you were younger and perhaps haven’t done in a while. “Out of that list, set a date on the calendar and commit to doing one of those things soon,” suggests Tarry. “Maybe you go to the park and ride your skateboard or bicycle. Maybe you play hooky from work and take yourself on a date.”
Get outside.
“Do something in nature, like tumbling in the backyard, running in an open field or walking along the boardwalk in the rain barefoot,” says Tarry. “Do something out of the ordinary and notice what you feel. Is that liberating? Fun? Thrilling? Scary? Or all of the above?”
Reflect.
Don’t immediately return to what you were doing before your playtime. Pause to “write down your experience with it afterwards so you can remember what this was like,” Tarry advises. Then, when you’re facing a tough situation, you can recall those playful emotions.
The bottom line
This is an example of how an old adage can actually be part of a healthy routine. “The ability to think of all the ways you can live with hardships or life transitions can create mental resilience and emotional regulation,” says Tarry.
“We can control how we respond to things by the ways in which we think of what is happening to us. Every situation may not be something that you can turn into lemonade, but in some cases, it may be just what you need.”
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