It All Starts with a Smile
In our support for caregivers, we focus a lot on ways to relieve stress and cope with difficult situations. One of the best stress relievers and coping mechanisms I know is humor. Though the situation may be serious, and no one is denying that it is, a good quip or a funny joke can be a stress reliever for everyone.
No matter how difficult the circumstances or challenging the responsibilities, we need happiness and laughter in our lives. But as caregivers, we may feel awkward or uncomfortable enjoying even a moment of levity when our loved one is undergoing a difficult time. We may even feel that our happiness depends on the happiness of our loved one. It’s natural to feel that way because we care so much, but we also must understand that our happiness is our own, and we are all entitled to happiness.
What is happiness? Here’s what the Greater Good Science Center has to say about it:
“Coming up with a formal definition of happiness can be tricky. After all, shouldn’t we just know it when we feel it? In fact, we often use the term to describe a range of positive emotions, including amusement, joy, pride, and contentment.
“But to understand the causes and effects of happiness, researchers first need to define it. For most, the term happiness is interchangeable with ‘subjective well-being,’ which is typically measured by asking people about how satisfied they feel with their lives (evaluative), how much positive and negative emotion they tend to feel (affective), and their sense of meaning and purpose (eudaimonic). In her 2007 book The How of Happiness, positive psychology researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky elaborates, describing happiness as ‘the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.’ ”
And here are five tools to try that might help you increase the happiness and laughter in your life:
SMILE: Start with a SMILE. It’s much easier to initiate a laugh when you’re already smiling.
BE SILLY: Humor begins with a spirit of playfulness, or just being silly!
BE LIGHTHEARTED: Don’t take yourself too seriously. Brush off your shortcomings. Learn to laugh at your mistakes.
SET AN INTENTION: Make a goal to laugh more. Set an intention to make it a practice.
BE SURPRISING: Humor often depends on a “surprise” element.
For more on how to improve your sense of humor, check out this article by Tracie Abram at Michigan State University Extension.
And remember that laughter is contagious. If you’re struggling, try seeking out others who seem to laugh easily. Find the happiness that YOU deserve.