Feeling Too Stressed or Upset to Lighten Up? Two Strategies to Help.
When we find ourselves in a state of intense stress or negative emotion, laughing or smiling may seem impossible. Try these two strategies to discover how they can help you find the laughs and smiles to feel, think, and function better.
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Hi, I’m Melanie Hoffner, the Mind Magician team member of Saving Superwoman.
When I am in a stressful situation, I KNOW intellectually that laughter will support me in breaking the stress cycle, and sometimes find it difficult to muster one on cue. When that happens, I have several memories that almost always lead me to laughter.
Stress Strategy 1:
I recall a situation on a sunny spring morning while making breakfast. I asked my, then toddler, son to open the front door and let some cool air in. He was used to going to the door to call in our cat with a, “Here kitty, kitty.” I was surprised to hear him calling, “Here cold air. Here cold air.” I was chuckling and stopped when he came into the kitchen with a very concerned face and tone and said, “Mommy, cold air is not here.” I laugh aloud every time I recall this.
Right now, recall a situation from your life, a scene from a movie, or a funny story that causes you to laugh. After you enjoy the laugh, consciously store this connection in your memory by saying, “When I need to laugh, I think about ________. Fill in the blank with a key word or words to trigger the memory, e.g. “Here cold air.”
Stress Strategy 2:
Smiling creates a positive emotional shift when the facial nerves used to smile signal to the brain. The brain gets a “smiling” action message and then it changes the chemical mix so you begin to feel happy to match. Smiling truly allows you to fake it until you feel it.
Smiling when we are very upset or angry can be challenging and Lynette Patterson shared this strategy with me. Take a pencil and place it between your back teeth. This forces your mouth into a smile which activates the chemical shift in your brain so you feel better. You might even laugh if you look at yourself in a mirror while clamping on that pencil with your teeth. Just don’t bare down too hard… you don’t want splinters in your tongue!!
Remember…
You can most often shift your negative or stressful emotions with laughter and smiles, which help you think more effectively and feel better emotionally and physically. If you have a strategy to add laughter and smiles to your day, please share it. Here’s to more smiles, laughter and ultimately, success.
