“Laugh a lot. A good sense of humor cures almost all of life’s ills.” Ritu Ghatourey
Those coping with the daily burden of worry, stress, and anxiety often feel as though happiness and relief are out of reach. Sometimes you may feel that the only way to reduce anxiety is to solve all of the problems you’re facing. It can be overwhelming. Do you ever feel like stress has taken all the fun out of life? Are you looking for a dependable way to reduce the tension and worry in your life?
You have more power over anxiety than you may realize. In fact, you can significantly reduce both the present experience and the long term impact of anxiety by actively seeking out humor and laughter. If you are trapped in a downward spiral, humor can reset the scale.
You may be able to recall the physical sense of relief that laughter can bring – a release of tension followed by a breath of fresh air. Anxiety is made up of over-active fears, and laughter is the antidote to fear. Laughter reminds you that you can be confident in the face of struggles and that you can decide to what extent stress is allowed to dishearten you. Finding humor in a situation gives you a chance to regroup in a potentially anxiety-provoking moment.
You may benefit from seeking a sense of calm and confidence to replace and reduce the anxiety in your life. Smiling and laughter instantly release tension within your body, which naturally allows you to breathe more easily and hold your body in a more comfortable way. You are then opening a door to calm and confident thoughts, words, and experiences.
Finding the humor in a situation can also broaden your mind in a way that can quickly and drastically alter a chronic state of anxiety (or the way that anxiety or stress can impact you over time). Anxiety tends to limit a person’s perspective on a situation, invite that person to focus on the more negative potential outcomes, and leave him or her feeling stuck. Practice noticing the ironies or entertaining components within a situation, as this can help you break a habit of over-analyzing, and it will make it easier for you to notice potential solutions before an over-active fear takes hold.
By allowing yourself to see humor in a situation, you can take it less personally. This is why humor and laughter are also a doorway to forgiveness. By sharing laughter and joy with another person, you’re offering an olive branch that allows for healing in your connection with that person. It also allows you to let go of things that aren’t meant for you.
Be cautious, as humor can also be used to avoid problems or true feelings that you have. Don’t abuse the power of humor by using it to ignore your true feelings. Use it to give you the relaxing and rejuvenating boost that you need to address situations in more healthy and positive ways. You’ll begin to be more aware of how to attend to your needs in healthy ways.
So, get a little laughter in your life. See a stand-up comedy show. Play a game with friends. Make it a priority to do something fun or silly every day, however small it may be. Anxiety will gain or lose power based on how you spend your time and how you use your mind – so give yourself some of the positivity and relief that you need in order to face your feelings and your life situations.
If your worry, stress, or anxiety is overwhelming you to the point that it is impacting your quality of life, don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss what can help you in your unique experience living with stress. I can help you find the tools and strategies that can bring the change and relief that you need. The answers may be closer than you realize.
Contact me via email or phone for a free phone consultation.