Have you ever gotten caught in a cycle of taking yourself too seriously? Have you focused on the heaviness of a situation, not able to see how it might ever change? Often when that happens we let that heaviness spill over into other areas of our lives.
For instance, yesterday I had a less than satisfying conversation with someone. When I walked away I felt very agitated and angry. The interesting thing is that it took me several hours to shake it off and in the mean time I encountered drivers who were slow, people who were indecisive at the store, and on and on. The point is that my agitation and judgments spilled over everywhere.
Once I was able to step back and laugh – literally laugh out loud at myself, things shifted. I realized that I was keeping that conversation going in my mind rather than letting it go and getting on with my day. The good news is that I finally did turn things around for myself and was able to reframe the conversation.
So, here we are at the big idea. Smiles and laughter can shift not only your mood, but your perspective. It can give you that uplift so you can engage with your life in the way you would choose rather than being pulled around by circumstances. We often take ourselves and our interactions so seriously that we give them way more power than they deserve.
Here are a few ideas – practice smiling and laughing. A smile and laughter can shift things immediately. When I am in that place of agitation it is tricky for me to find something to laugh or smile about. Sometimes I physically move myself from where I am to another location. It might mean going outside and simply enjoying the green trees against the blue sky. I love those color combinations and it never fails to lift my spirits. Another thing you might try is watching a funny video on your computer. It doesn’t have to be lengthy, only that it evokes a smile or laughter.
The reason to shift your physical and mental space is so you will have more energy to look at your situation a bit differently. Or, at the very least you will have had a good laugh and have broken the spiral. The key is to notice when you have gotten to that place of heaviness and let yourself smile and laugh.
We often have that mistaken belief that we should keep feeling burdened or overwhelmed because otherwise we aren’t being responsible. Kind of silly when you spell it out and yet that is one way that many people frame their problems. Let yourself smile, laugh, and play. Take a break from the heaviness of being serious. You can come back to your problem with fresh eyes and a lightened heart. What can you do for yourself today to evoke a smile or better yet, a belly laugh? I hope you have fun with this experiment!
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