6 Ways to Add Laughter to Your Life
6 Ways to Add Laughter to Your Life
“A good laugh and a long nap are the two best cures for anything.” –Irish Proverb
Although I love the sound of that – and the idea behind it, as a counselor, I have to say that those are not cures for everything. I wish they were. Although they certainly help with some problems, human beings are so much more complex than that. But, laughter is undoubtedly important. To be emotionally healthy, you need to experience the full range of human emotions, including happiness. Laughter will help release stress, help you connect with others, and help you feel happy.
Here are six ways you can add laughter to your life:
- Laugh at yourself.
Learn not to take life too seriously. Laugh at your mistakes. Work toward having an optimistic outlook on life.
- Find at least one funny thing in your day.
Life is full of humorous events, incongruencies, and funny things. Look for at least one funny thing a day. The more you look for funny moments, the more able you will be to find them.
- Create something.
Creativity and humor tend to feed off of each other. Take time to be more creative. Read books, go exploring, create things, or plan something that you want to create later. Spend time with children. Children are superbly creative.
- Build a humor library.
Be sure to have a collection of funny books, cartoons, jokes, comedian videos, etc. If you don’t have any, start your collection now! Then, refer to your humor library any time you need a laugh.
5. Do something new and outrageous (but be safe!).
Try something you’ve never tried before.
6. Improve your self-esteem or sense of self worth.
You will feel like laughing much more often if you see yourself in a compassionate, healthy way. If you need to work on your self-compassion, visit Kristen Neff, Ph.D.’s great website www.self-compassion.org or come meet with one of our counselors.
These six ideas will help you laugh more, which will help you be happier in the long run. Try out one of these ideas – or more – today!
Caution: Rarely laughing or feeling unhappy can be an indicator that you are not emotionally healthy. If this is the case for you or a loved one, advice to “just buck up and be happy,” “or “just put on a happy face” is unhelpful and ill-advised. If this is the case for you or a loved one, you need some extra support at this time. Schedule a visit with a CMFC counselor today!
