Give your worries a can of whoop-ass, Part 1: Laughing

I used to have a big problem with worrying about every little thing, even though I didn’t always verbalize it. But over the past few months, I’ve come to realize that most of the worrying that we do solves nothing. In fact worrying too much causes problems. I’ve begun to see negative effects from years of worrying in my life. So within the past few weeks, I’ve made a conscious effort to stop worrying so much and stop making things so hard on myself. In honor of what I’ve learned, I am writing a four part series describing four simple ways to limit your worries and take back your life!

Laughter is the best medicine

Call me crazy but I think humor, especially when timed right, can cure pretty much anything! It doesn’t matter if you have a minor worry like spilled milk or a small disagreement with a friend. Or if you have more serious worries like being homeless or having a terminal illness.

Okay, so maybe I didn’t say it right. Humor can’t directly cure homelessness or diseases, but I do believe it can lighten up the situation, which then gets your mind off of a negative stream of thoughts. When you’re not thinking negatively, it’s much easier to focus on things that truly matter. It’s much easier to enjoy the moment. It’s also easier to visualize opportunities or ways to improve your situation, even if you can’t completely get yourself out of it.

Finding laughter triggers

What usually gets me laughing is remembering something corny funny that you heard or saw. A lot of things can trigger it. A funny friend, a specific event, a funny show, something you read, something you saw on YouTube. Pets also do the trick… my cat and my dog, even if I want to kill them sometimes, are the best pets ever! Especially my dog, who is THE drama queen.

If you can’t remember anything funny, then start something! YOU be the joke. It gets easier with some practice. And you don’t have to be a world-class comedian/comedienne to start a few laughs.

I’m a big joke, sometimes

I used to be a very uptight person, meaning I was really shy and afraid to express myself verbally. I’d still say that I’m initially a very reserved person and it takes me a while to really open up and be the goofball I really am. But as I get older, the less I care. I find myself blurting out crazy, sometimes inappropriate, stuff that gets people laughing. With my hearing loss, sometimes I unknowingly say things that have nothing to do with the conversation. Sometimes I get animated without realizing it or I get excited and start talking so fast I sound like a mad woman.

Other times I start yakking nonsense when I’m half asleep or otherwise incoherent. No, I’m not high… unless you count being high on life… something I’m getting better at doing! I’ve said plenty of crap while half asleep, like threaten my sister as if I were a Russian Mafia boss. My sister never lets me hear the end of it and in hindsight, it’s hilarious.

Lighten up!

Seriously, random stuff like that makes people laugh. Then when I realize what I said or did, it makes me laugh as well. At that point I feel like I’m on top of the world because I’m living in the moment, I’m not worried about anything, and I get to bond with people. And the mood is positively viral. The more you do it, the more positive you get overall.

Give it a spin sometime and see how it turns out! And if you have any funny stories, be sure to share ‘em. Might as well get a carefree mood started now!

Stay tuned for more tips on giving your worries a can of whoop-ass!

• Part 1: Laughing
• Part 2: Analyzing the worst possible out come
• Part 3: Just doing it
• Part 4: Deciding not to worry

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Related posts:

1. Give your worries a can of whoop-ass, Part 4: Deciding not to worry
2. Give your worries a can of whoop-ass, Part 2: What’s the worst that could happen?
3. Give your worries a can of whoop-ass, Part 3: Just do it!
4. The (slightly) evil person’s guide to being annoyingly laid-back (and reducing stress while you’re at it)
5. Hurricanes For Dummies (who don’t understand meteorological terminology and don’t want to) and how it somehow relates to negative emotional states and… laughing(?)

Tagged as: reducing stress, stress