It’s the holidays. Time to pull out your hair and scream into a pillow. To say that many of us are dealing with little stress in our lives, is probably an understatement. I know that I spend my time trying to find silly mindless TV shows (I’m a 90 Day Fiance fanatic), and going out with my friends. Yes, it is good to stay focused on the important things, but we should also make time to simply have a good laugh. Laughing burns calories, bonds you to your loved ones, and relieves stress. What more could you want in an activity that is so fun and refreshing?
Here are 6 silly ideas on ways to add laughter to your everyday life.
- Go to Karaoke Night
Whether or not you can sing, attend a karaoke night at a local pub. If you can sing, it will be fun and you will surely get a few moments of laughter. If you are a terrible singer, even better. I can’t carry a tune to save my live (but get a few prosecco’s into me and I’ll totally do it). Quietly find humor in the others whose voices are not their strong point either. There are always a few.
- Watch a Funny Movie
Sometimes all it takes to de-stress is to watch someone else being funny. Put on a good comedy or tune in to the comedy channel and watch some stand-up. Look for your favorite comedians and actors, and enjoy. You can also find funny short movies on YouTube.
- Make a Prank Call
This is only applicable to a close friend, of course, but if you want to have a really good laugh… make a prank call. It’ll take you back to your childhood (remember Prince Albert in a can?). If you have been blessed with the ability to disguise your voice, call your friend up and act as though you are an obnoxious salesman. As immature as this sounds, you and your friend will both probably get a laugh out of the ordeal that you will never forget.
- Play a Practical Joke
Another one to use on a good friend who shares your sense of humor… playing a practical joke tops the list of easy laughs. Whether you choose to set several hidden alarm clocks in their room, or switch the salt and sugar temporarily, give them a reason to remember you. Other ideas include dropping a fake spider over their shoulder, changing their cell phone setting to a foreign language, or placing bubble wrap in between their toilet bowl and the toilet seat when you visit their home.
- Ask Your Children to Make Some Jokes
If you have little ones, or friends with little ones, ask them to be the comedian for the evening. Sometimes children say the funniest things. Even when their jokes fall flat, there is something humorous about a little one trying to get a laugh out of the adults.
- Find Humor When There Seems to Be None
One of the most important things to do is to search for the humorous moments. When you lock yourself out of your car, remember what a funny story it will be in the future, and start to point out the funny details to yourself and your family. When things seem to be going wrong, think of an interesting and hilarious way to tell your story to someone at a later time. This can change a stressful moment into a great one in an instant. My favorite, when my friend Sandy and I were at the museum and a woman was looking at the beautiful photography and commented “OMG, It’s like ART!” Duh, you are in an art museum. Years later, we’re STILL laughing about that one.
There are many ways to add laughter to your life. Use these ideas as a springboard to your own list of raucous laugh-inducers. You will feel your stress melt away as the laughs increase on a daily basis.
Most of us have fallen for the green-eyed monster at some time in our lives. We will talk about how to deal with jealousy next time.
