Finding the Funny
Finding the Funny When You Don’t Feel Like Laughing
Have you ever found yourself in a season of life where the weight of the world feels almost unbearable, pressing heavily on your spirit? Those mornings when you wake up and something feels off.
Perhaps it’s news overload from watching too much tv. Maybe you’ve learned of troubling health updates about someone you care about.. Or perhaps your children are navigating their own storms, and their struggles weigh on you. Whatever the source, the result is the same: a sadness that lingers.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
In those moments, how do you cope when you just don’t feel like laughing? Where do you turn to rediscover joy, and how do you break free from the grip of melancholy?
I’m not speaking of clinical depression, which is a profound and serious matter requiring professional care. Rather, I’m talking about those stretches of life when a sense of sadness takes hold—a time where the blues feel difficult to shake.
You’ll find a good number of articles on the web that will suggest tips for feeling happier - from eating nutritiously and getting regular exercise to spending time outdoors or reducing stress with breathing exercise and meditation.These are great suggestions.
What seems to work for me is humor. I seek it out - by being with friends who like to laugh and are quick with one-liners or by finding an uplifting movie to watch or book to read. Sometimes, scrolling Netflix or YouTube for comedy stand-up routines, roasts, and sketches helps me find a good laugh when I need it most. Laughter has a way of lightening my mood and shifting my perspective.
Sometimes what we need is just an infusion of funny. Something to shift the day’s vibe. Could that be why people scroll endlessly on TikTok watching kitten or puppy videos? Or save memes and jokes to a Pinterest board?
In the dark, cold days of the Northeast winter, finding the funny is my new hobby. Like the time I was driving and saw a sign “Tattoo. In Rear. Walk-ins Welcome.” Hmmm…not on other parts of the body? Turns out, it just meant the entrance to the tattoo parlor was around the back of the building. Or the grocery cashier who shared her elderly mother’s wry observation: “The only thing golden about these years is the color of my pee.”
I leave you with a little humor to brighten your day. Where do you find the funny?
