I did something stupid the other day.
Ten years ago, I would have been furious with myself, but now…my first reaction was to laugh.
My Mess Up
My husband was busy farming and needed me to exchange an incorrect part with the correct one.
He loaded the part, into the back of the pickup for me to drive into town 45 miles away.
While there I thought it would be good to run errands and visit two of my daughters.
After listening to a great podcast, and visiting with a friend on the phone, I turned onto the road where the implement place was only to look around and notice that I was driving my car and NOT the pickup!
How did I not realize that I was in the wrong vehicle?!
I couldn’t even pick up the needed part to take home, because it wouldn’t fit in my car.
I knew I’d have to turn around, drive almost an hour home, get in the pickup, drive another hour back to town, exchange the part, and then drive another hour back home.
There would be no time to run errands or visit my daughters.
That was not how I wanted to spend my day!
I could have been judgmental at, and angry with myself, but why? What good would that have done?
Instead I chose to laugh and share the humor of the situation with my husband.
Benefits
Studies show that self-directed humor when not demeaning is healthy.
Laughing at oneself:
-releases dopamine
-increases blood circulation
-strengthens the heart
-leads to increased optimism
-boosts resiliency
-helps us reframe challenges
-enables us to thrive when faced with adversity
Being able to laugh at oneself shows self-acceptance and confidence. It releases tension and builds rapport with others.
Healthy humor is healing, and can be learned.
Improving the Ability to Laugh
Learning to laugh at oneself in a positive way begins with knowledge.
Recognize that:
-laughing about a mistake you made does not mean you’re laughing at who you are as a person.
-a single action does not determine who you are.
-you are not your performance.
Laughter is healing.
I invite you to make healthy, self-directed humor a part of your wellness tool-kit.
What a fun and easy way to make each and every day a great day!
Much love,
