No doubt we all have massive to-do lists. We spend exorbitant amounts of time and effort into finishing tasks like household chores, cooking, cleaning, work deadlines, and obligations. They never seem to end. We can get so focused on these that we can forget how to be present when there are moments of joy around us. Sometimes our excuse can be that we have too much to do, or we just don’t find the present occurrence humorous. Is this really the case? It could be. However, if it’s a constant habit, maybe we are more interested in doing our tasks so we don’t fall behind. Will our tasks ever be done?
Some of us can take life more seriously than others. When we’re socializing, are we fully present and finding space to bring in laughter? We can be task-oriented yet still find snippets of time to be light-hearted, even if we are alone. Our mood can be elevated simply by the action of smiling. It is one great way to feel better in the mind and body.
There can be times where we sit on the sidelines watching others in their joy and become envious that we are not feeling the same. If this happens, we can turn the other way and ignore it or allow ourselves to smile and let the fun of the moment settle within us. It may feel awkward at first, but joy has a way of making things light.
So let’s look for humor in our day. If it’s difficult to snap out of the task-oriented moments, we can force ourselves to smile. We may just find that we’re joyously in the moment.
Laughing exercise:
Whether you’re by yourself, with a friend or in a group, this exercise can definitely lighten things up. The gist is: Start laughing. Laugh at nothing and laugh at everything for five minutes. If you decide to do this alone while in the presence of others, you could forewarn them or just see what they will do. The laughing exercise not only changes mood quickly, but laughing will bring along health benefits. A happy mind is a happy body.
Here is a Tedx Talk by by Ida Abdalkhani to get you started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HJG63EXCmw
Photo by Savannah Dematteo from Pexels
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