The Importance of Laughter
One thing I can’t go a day without is laughter.
I have a “deep, hearty laugh” as one of my friends likes to call it and when I laugh, I laugh. I’m the person that will laugh at your fall first, and then ask if you’re okay. I’m the person that laughs when it’s probably not appropriate to laugh. Ever seen somebody get so weak that they literally cry and have to sit down to gain some stability? Yep, that’s me too. With laughter comes joy and happiness, and I truly believe that it’s a source of longevity.
I realized that when I get super stressed or overwhelmed, I don't laugh. Not even at something that's funny. It's weird I know, but it's like my brain is just so focused elsewhere that my natural reaction is just disconnected. So when I'm having one of those moments, even if I don't find anything that's naturally occurring throughout my day funny, I need to find something that's funny. I'll listen to one of my favorite podcasts, or watch an episode of a TV show that I think is funny, even if I've already seen it before (shoutout to my DVR and Netflix for holding me down! lol). Not only is laughter an expression of happiness for me, but it's also a stress reliever, which, in my book, qualifies as self care.
So it seems kind of silly at first to say to myself "okay, I'm gonna watch this show because I need to laugh". But then when I'm not thinking about whatever was on my mind by the end of it, then it's not so silly. So if you don't laugh on a regular basis, stop being so uptight! Find a way to make it happen. Watch your favorite comedy show or movie. Call that crazy friend who always makes you laugh. Browse your social media feeds, I guarantee that you'll find something worth laughing at. Because I know how stress and anxiety affects me and how easy it is for me to get caught up, I've practiced changing my response. Instead of being overwhelmed by certain things, I'm teaching myself to laugh, or at least not to make it such a big deal. Instead of getting irritated when I make minor mistakes I acknowledge them and move on. And I'm very much a Type A kind of person, so minor mistakes are a big deal to me. But I know that about myself, and I'm actively working to change that. Maybe your issue is stress and/or anxiety like mine, or maybe it's spreading yourself too thin and not leaving room for happy things to occur. Maybe it's being on auto pilot and being so focused on getting things done that you forget to do something for you. But do you see how simple it is to make little changes to implement self care and teach yourself not be so hard on yourself?
When I feel the urge to laugh, I just let it happen, no matter what crazy faces I make, no matter how ridiculous I look with tears streaming down my face, and no matter how politically incorrect it may be (and that has come back to bite me at times but I still don’t care lol). So when you feel the urge to do something that brings you joy, let it happen! Release that positive energy into the world, we need more of it. Thanks for journeying with me.