18 Mar Since Humor Is Connected to Longevity, Here Are 7 Expert Tips for Finding Laughter in Tough Times
Life! You have to laugh!!!
I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t take life seriously. But I am suggesting that laughing in the face of absurdity can sometimes help us cope.
Humour can be a fantastically powerful and effective coping strategy; and it’s one that’s so often under-utilised.
So today, I’m inviting you to consider these 7 tips from Natalie Arroyo Camacho via Well and Good and see how you could use them in your life …
It’s not uncommon for people to notice how good they feel after laughing. Laughing can anecdotally make people’s mood feel lighter, fill them with joy, and even make their abs sore (in a good way). That’s because, as it turns out, laughter really is a potent medicine of sorts, according to research and expert intel. It stands to reason, then, that the application of humor for well-being is something everyone could benefit from learning a thing or two about.
According to psychologist Selena Snow, PhD, using humor to make light of difficult times—like, uh, life amid the pandemic—can help to reduce your stress levels. That’s because laughter is associated with lower levels of cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone. Laughing is also connected to the release of endorphins, aka the naturally occurring feel-good chemicals in your brain, which can help reduce pain and stress. Since stress is connected to longevity-compromising conditions, specifically as it relates to heart and brain health, using humor as a well-being strategy isn’t a far stretch at all. “Laughter can be a way to lighten a heavy moment and can be an excellent coping mechanism for difficulties,” says Dr. Snow.
“Laughter can be a way to lighten a heavy moment and can be an excellent coping mechanism for difficulties.” —psychologist Selena Snow, PhD
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Joy strategist Grace Harry adds that the connection between humor and well-being reflects the notion that when people consciously choose their emotional state, they also change their focus. With this in mind, if laughing facilitates happiness, having a sense of humor opens up the ability to intentionally shift from a place of negativity to one of positivity. If someone can dedicate energy to something troubling, says Harry, that same someone can also consciously make light of situations through humor.
But, when you’re in the midst of a bad mood or emotionally taxing situation, finding the energy or wherewithal to flex your humor muscles is easier said than done. Read on to learn eight strategies that Harry and Dr. Snow recommend for folks to find humor in the midst of not-so-easy times.
7 tips to use humor for well-being, like when you’re in dark times
1. List 1,000 things you’re grateful for
This may seem over the top, but that’s exactly why it works as a tip for using humor for well-being. Through this technique, you’re reminding yourself of how much beauty there is in your life, and, adds Harry, at some point, you’ll stop sweating the small stuff and start laughing at it.
“When you get to, like, a hundred, you have to start laughing at yourself,” she says. “You’re laughing at yourself that you’ve had to go through this ridiculous exercise” to remember your blessings…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE