Mr. Happy by SpindlierHades
A good sense of humor can help you in get through many rough situations. A playful attitude and light-hearted outlook will give you resiliency when bad things happen. It can lift your spirits on a bad day, and help you recognize when things aren’t quite as terrible as they first appear. A healthy sense of humor means you can laugh at your own mistakes and not being afraid of occasionally looking silly.
But although a few lucky people are born with a great sense of humor, most of us have to learn it. Think of it like the using the computer. Some people (think Bill Gates) take to it like a fish to water, while others flail uncomfortably around in an unfamiliar environment. When you were little, learning to ride a bike was repetitive, unpredictable and most likely put you on your butt more times than you care to admit. But the benefits outweighed the problems. Your two-wheeled freedom was at stake.
Here a few benefits I’ve found with a well-developed sense of humor:
- It improves your ability to bounce back from setbacks and problems more easily.
- Humor is better when shared, so it increases social interactions.
- Laughter is a great workout for your cardiovascular system.
- Repeated exposure to humor will result in more smiles for you, and it’s much harder to be sad when you have a smile on your face.
- Humor helps you see things from a new perspective and increases creativity.
- Laughter and smiles will make you seem friendlier to people and more approachable.
- A humorous approach to problems helps reduce tension and lower anxiety and worry.
Humor is different for each person. Some people are drawn to physical humor like a puppy falling over a rake, while others prefer satirical observations on daily life. Identifying what you find funny is a great way to wake up your funny bone. Luckily there are always new comedies to watch, new cartoons to read, and new jokes to tell. You can make up your own comedy as well. Visualize your jackass boss as a donkey with a human face next time you see him. Make goofy faces at the phone solicitors who bother you. Create a slogan for accidental mishaps like Peewee Herman’s “I meant to do that.”
Be open to experimenting with humor and fun. Ask for humorous birthday gifts. Visit a playground full of children. Wear funny t-shirts or adopt Snoopy as your personal mascot. You’ll be surprised at all the great laughs you can find once you start looking.
Here are a few extra resources to get you started:
500 Great Bumper Sticker Quotes
