Don’t you find it interesting that babies laugh before they talk? Laughing is a healthy habit and a great stress reducer. Solomon said, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” Proverbs 17:22.
Here are a few ways you can use humor as a stress reducer
- Watch funny movies! Some of my favorites are “What about Bob?” “Pure Luck” and “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World.”
- Read jokes. There are innumerable clean, funny jokes online as well as in Reader’s Digest.
- Listen to a good clean comedian. My favorite is Mark Lowry.
When my husband moved out two days before Christmas, leaving me with two boys, ages 4 and 10, I knew I couldn’t allow myself to succumb to depression or anything else negative. My boys needed me, especially to make it a happy Christmas. I chose to use humor to help reduce my stress—especially when I started to get down or overwhelmed.
One thing that helped both me and my boys to laugh and change our perspective was Mark Lowry’s song, “Sure Beats Hell.” I know, I know, it’s a weird title and you’re probably wondering about me right about now. But the words were amazing, “No matter what you’re going through, it sure beats hell.” If we compare our lives to how horrible hell is, we can laugh at our circumstances—no matter how dark they may appear.
All of Mark’s albums (or cassette tapes as they were at that point) brought us so much laughter, which was just what we needed. You can go on YouTube.com to watch lots of Mark’s funny stories and songs.