One of the best coping mechanisms during difficult times is something as old as time: laughter. It may seem contradictory to look for ways to crack a smile when we feel the situation calls for anything but laughter, but a good sense of humor helps us to put stress aside even if it is only for a moment. Finding small moments of fun clears the mind which helps us analyze our problems with new perspectives. The news channels constantly bombard us with overwhelming news about the world and throughout the course of our lives, life will give us many blows. However, that does not mean that we have to beat ourselves up about it, but rather we must find ways to protect and strengthen our hearts. In order to do this, we must enjoy every little moment of happiness and laughter despite all the bad things that surround us.
It is not about living blindly, oblivious to the reality of the problems we have, but about trying to face things with positivity in order to see things clearly and with the certainty that our situation will not stay any certain way forever. There are many benefits of laughing out loud or just releasing a small smile; laughter helps us release endorphins which help us improve breathing and therefore clear the mind. Ultimately, it helps us live a full life with less stress and more clarity and soundness of mind. Our self-esteem increases as well as our energy level, and that energy can become contagious which can also improve our personal relationships.
There are many things we can do during challenging times to help ourselves maintain a sense of humor as well as good humor in general. Look for things that make you laugh, do things that you like, have a laugh with your friends and try to complain as little as possible, cheer up when you are low on energy and smile all you can and above all, do not feel guilty for looking for moments of happiness because even though that may be hard to believe in times of hardship, you always deserve it and it will always be worth a try.
