Having a sense of humor through stressful times may seem nearly impossible at the moment. This can be especially true during a pandemic or other difficult time you might be enduring right now. Although laughter doesn’t always come easily, there are plenty of reasons to keep laughing.
Have a Positive Mindset
Laughter can inspire a person to be more positive. For example, instead of dwelling on negative circumstances, try giving yourself a break. Just relax and use your imagination to forget about things for a while. Next, focus on a past situation that made you laugh, and allow yourself to remember how you felt.
Forget About Your Worries
Source: ShutterstockWorrying about the current pandemic death toll won’t stop it from taking your life or anyone else’s. In fact, worrying will likely only make you more negative. Therefore, rather than worry about it, find ways to have a sense of humor and remain positive. For instance, imagine people as cartoon characters, or tell a few jokes.
Take Care of Your Health
Laughing is similar to medicine because it can help you feel less depressed, lower your stress levels, and ease anxiety. Similarly, it can reduce the tension in your body and help you let go of your anger. You can also boost immunity, prevent heart disease, and decrease pain, among other things. Additionally, try laughing to strengthen your relationships.
Live in the Moment
Source: ShutterstockYou can forget about a long day at the office, past hurts, and other misfortunes by having a sense of humor. Besides this, if you’ve ever ridden a roller coaster or other carnival ride, you probably understand how laughing helps you enjoy the moment more. With this in mind, laughter can improve your quality of life.
Bond with Friends or Family
Family members who lack a sense of humor tend to start arguments or put a dark cloud over everyone else. On the other hand, those who can laugh together usually get along quite well. This is because laughter forms a common bond between these family members. Friends can be a little different because they accept each other for who they are and may even laugh at another’s misfortunes without malice.
Stop Taking Life Too Seriously
Source: ShutterstockPeople who take life more seriously than necessary tend to miss out on being as happy as possible. If this is you, you can take a bit of time out of your day to see life differently. You don’t have to compromise your values if you allow yourself to just be yourself. You deserve to enjoy life to the fullest in any way you feel comfortable.
A Few Ways to Laugh More:
- Do a Creative Activity: Creativity can help you be yourself more, and express your feelings. Consider drawing humorous doodles, writing a funny poem, adding smiley faces to food or coloring in a coloring book, among other things.
- Read a Humorous Book: You can read a book written by a comedian, free online comic or a fiction book. Whichever piece of reading material you choose, be sure to pick out one that fits your unique sense of humor.
- Watch Cartoons: No matter what your age, you’re never too old to watch cartoons. Engaging once in a while in activities you once did as a kid can help you remember how fun life can be.
- Look at Funny Photos: You can look up funny animal photos or videos online. Alternatively, you can create humorous clay sculptures and sell them.
- Entertain Yourself: If you have nothing else to do, there are plenty of ways to entertain yourself. For instance, you can juggle, recite the alphabet backward, create children’s puppets or bake pet-safe cookies for your dog.
- Relax and Be Yourself: Being yourself is essential to laughing more often. This means relaxing, living in the moment and spending time with people who love you for you.
If you can’t find your sense of humor alone, ask a friend or family member to join you. After all, laughing with someone you care about is often a lot more fun than doing it alone. Staying positive by having a sense of humor can help you forget about your troubles for a second, so you can focus on something better.
