When's the last time you laughed? I mean, really Laughed? I'm not talking, "oh that's funny" small smile, I'm talking LOLOLOLOL ya know, full belly, Santa jelly, laughed?
Whether you have postpartum struggles or not, LAUGHTER is great medicine. It's a proven fact. (I don't have the proof, but I am sure it is a proven fact...wiki search it!)
I have found laughter to ease my anxiety, to brighten my depressed mood while pregnant, and to plain make me forget any "problems" I thought I had.
But let me tell you, when you are depressed, when you a bogged down by obsessive thoughts, when you are plagued with anxiety, laughing is usually the last thing you are thinking of. So...how do you get laughter back in your life?
Plan out your laughter.
I know that sounds silly, but if you are going to use laughter as your "medicine" then you need to plan a time to take your medicine daily. What makes you laugh? Here are some ideas I use, silly as they may seem.
1. You Tube. What's funnier than watching someone being scared to death by Ellen, watching the BEST TRUST FALL ever (my fav), or a comedian making you laugh about some of the pathetic things parents go through. Take 2 minutes and watch something that makes you laugh.
2. Surround yourself with funny people. Do you have a girlfriend who makes you laugh so hard it hurts? Call her up and go to lunch or invite her over to do nothing else but talk with you and laugh.
3. Reminisce. Nothing makes me laugh harder than thinking and talking about old funny moments. I love remembering the time my husband spit water all over some foreign students while they were studying and they didn't even bat an eye. Or the time he flipped over the top of his bike and face planted into the middle of the street. Or the time I skied smack into a tree. It's best if you reminisce with the people involved. Then let the laughter roll.
4. Start a water fight/tickle fest with someone. Nothing gets me laughing harder than trying to soak Mike with water or running for my life as he tries to tickle me. I often get down on the floor and pretend to be a bull fighting my boys. It makes everybody laugh and it makes everyone feel better.
5. Remember "Men are that they might have Joy!" So laugh. Laugh at yourself when you do something stupid. Laugh at your kids. Kids are hilarious. Laugh and smile and you will feel the endorphins lifting you.
Three weeks after I had my youngest (Nathan a.k.a. Chubs), Mike convinced me to take a trip to my sisters house in St. George. I was nervous to go. I wasn't sleeping well and I was always on the edge of feeling the anxiety. I finally agreed to go (he didn't give me much choice) and I had the best time. I laughed so hard and smiled and totally forgot about my problems. It was the BEST MEDICINE ever. It snapped me out of my funk. It was like eating manna from Heaven. I can always count on my SIX sisters to get me laughing!
So as cheesy as it is...take time today to LOLOLOLOLOL!
-Over and Out!
What makes you laugh?
