Using Humor to Stay Positive During an Injury

Using Humor to Stay Positive During an Injury
- Edd Siu
  August 23, 2021

Laughter is the best medicine.

Yes, it is a cliché, but it is also true.

Healing is a long and arduous process. There are many ways for one to stay positive through the healing process, but one of the best is through humor.

Whether you choose to respond to your injury in a humorous manner, or you are the one who is trying to cheer others up, humor is one of the best tools that one can use to stay positive—it may even help you .

It's okay to feel distressed.

It can be tough to stay positive during a rough patch in life.

Whether it is a divorce, a bad grade, or even a broken foot, it can be hard to get through these tough times without the crutch of humor (see what we did there?).

It's important not to dismiss your feelings. It's helpful to acknowledge them and not let them occupy your mind's real estate. The first few days after getting injured can be very stressful, and a lot can be going through your head.

This is the situation at hand, and you can't change it. But there's one thing you can control:

Your mindset.

If you're here reading this, chances are everything will be fine.

A positive outcome mindset and a little humor can do you very well during your recovery process.

Is the glass half-full or half-empty?

When you're injured in some way, it's essential to focus on the positive things in your life. If you're focusing on how miserable your injury is making you, it becomes harder to get past it.

You have to focus on the positive aspects of your life, no matter how small they are. You have to embrace what you have rather than dwelling on what you don't have.

Though it may not be obvious, humor provides a great source of distraction during an illness or injury.

It can help you stay positive, even if the rest of your world seems discouraging. Laughter is a fantastic way to remove stress from your system, and it's an easy way to let go of worries that may not be worth worrying about.

Laughter as medicine, according to science.

Laughter is a natural remedy for painful feelings caused by injury or illness. We all experience sadness, frustration, disappointment, anger or anxiety on occasion.

Laughter can help us get over any obstacles, overcome discouraged people, and keep positive in difficult times. In times of need, using humor can help us find the strength to persevere and succeed.

Laughter has an effect similar to antidepressants. According to this , laughing activates the release of serotonin.

The chemical serotonin is the key hormone responsible for the stability of your mood, feelings of well-being, and happiness. It enables brain cells and other nervous system cells to communicate with each other.

According to this in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, laughter causes you to release nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and decreases clotting.

There's also that supports that laughing with others helps release potent endorphins (feel-good chemicals) in the brain.

While a good laugh will not solve all your problems, it can help you cope with them.

How to make yourself laugh more

Laughter doesn't come easy to everyone. We all have different personality types.

So how do you make yourself laugh more?

We looked around some top articles, and these are some of our favorites (and easily doable) ideas for getting ourselves to laugh more.

• Do more of what already makes you laugh—the best place to start.
• Hang out with the funniest people you know.
• Watch funny movies.
• Indulge in some funny memes online. They're almost as many memes on the internet as there are stars in our galaxy.
• Force yourself to smile more.
• Find your favorite comedian—their livelihood is dependant on making people laugh after all. There are plenty of stand-up shows on Netflix or Youtube.
• Binge-watch a funny sitcom. Some ideas: Ted Lasso, The Big Bang Theory, Seinfeld, Parks and Recreation etc.
• Got kids, nieces, or nephews? Hang out with them; they haven't forgotten how to laugh yet.
• Play fun board games with friends.
• Are you old enough to remember America's Funniest Home Videos (the Bob Saget version)?
• Spend time outside; it's a great way to use a knee scooter.
• Start a scrapbook of funny things your family members say, and let your family know they can contribute.
• Remove negativity from your environment. Stop reading/watching the news, stay away from Facebook or Twitter debates, turn off the sad music, etc.

Although it's inappropriate in some cases, being able to find humor in the daily challenges you face can make a big difference.

Final Thoughts

Life can be a struggle when you have an injury.

You're going to be all right! It just takes some practice. If you practice positive thinking, laugh more and keep your expectations realistic, you'll be in good shape to cope with any injury and return to normalcy as soon as possible.