Humor is amazing. Nothing improves our mood as quickly as laughter. It helps us get through life’s tougher moments. If even for a short while, our feelings of depression and anxiety are no longer on the center stage. But, in addition to helping our mood improve. Humor and the act of laughing also go hand in hand with mindfulness. As Debbie Woodbury points out “the laughter and the joy of being in the moment are all you are about. You’re like a child again, able to enjoy the moment without quantifying or analyzing your reaction.”
The ability to enjoy a moment without judgement should be something we all strive for. More often than not, we spend our days juggling numerous plans, thoughts, and ideas in our mind —it can get pretty noisy in there. This noise tends to disconnect us from what is happening within and around us in any given moment. For example, think about the act of eating a meal. We might say our meal was delicious, but how often do we actually take a moment to focus all of our senses on what we’re eating? In fact, take a second and ask yourself the following question. How many other thoughts are going through your mind as you’re reading this? In a state of mindfulness, our mind has no distractions. We focus our attention on the present and let everything else wash away.
So go find whatever it is that brings out the laughs in you. It doesn’t matter if it’s scrolling through memes, watching some standup, or chatting with someone who makes you laugh. We could all use a good laugh these days. And if you can’t muster up the energy to find something that makes you laugh then just laugh anyway! After all, nothing improves our mood as quickly as laughter, and I’m sure your mind will thank you for occasionally turning down the volume.
For more information on the benefits of mindfulness, check out this Psychology Today article.