Day Seven: Humor

The idea that humor relieves stress isn't new.  We know if we laugh when we're upset we feel better.

The shared emotional experience of laughter draws the anger out of situations which, prior to a humorous outlook, were viewed as threatening or challenging.

But in intense emotional exchanges, how do you let go of the anger and shift to humor?  Like anything else, it takes practice.

The sky is the limit for suggestions involving humor.  Be creative,  but remember that teasing, pushing buttons, and sarcasm are not considered humor.  If you have to say, "Come on.  That was funny," it might fall in the sarcasm category.

Try a few of these ideas to infuse humor into tense emotional exchanges:

• Speak with your nose plugged.
• Do something accidental that might be humorous.  There's nothing like an a slapstick move to get a laugh.
• Move intense conversations to a location where it's difficult to take yourselves seriously, like standing on the couch or sitting in the bathroom.
• Also use humor through the day with children to bring stress levels down.  
• Laugh at a few good jokes.  
• Watch a comedy routine on Youtube.  
• Have a laughing contest
• Recall humorous memories.

The goal is to take ourselves less seriously.  If it might be funny later, it can be funny now.