Laugh It Off
Humour is a magical cure for many things. Lately, I’ve been holding onto a lot of negative emotions—call it the effects of postpartum life or the weight of too many sleepless nights. Small things have been getting under my skin, and before I know it, those frustrations have been rolling over into my relationships. It’s a cycle I’ve been trying to break.
What’s been helping? Humour.
When you laugh at yourself or your situation, you take the sting out of it and you put things into perspective. It sounds obvious to put into words, but often it is harder to embody than you think, especially if you have a tendency to personalise events and situations.
The other day, I snapped at my husband for opening a blind I’d just closed to block out the sun. In my head, it felt personal, like he was undermining my action to block out the sun intentionally to spite me. Turns out, he just hadn’t even noticed I’d closed it. He just thought the room was too dark. It was a nice day.
The thing that shifted the sudden argument was when he said something like: “I didn’t realise you were in your vampire era,” and we both burst out laughing. That little joke cut through the tension and helped us realise the pointlessness of the argument. We settled on angling the blinds to shut out some sun — a happy solution.
Laughter changes everything. It’s not just a reaction; it’s a way to reframe. What feels like a big deal one minute suddenly seems manageable when you find the humour in it. It’s a way of telling yourself, This isn’t the end of the world.
Laughter shifts the perspective from “I’ll die on this hill” to “There are more important things.” It’s a way of signalling to yourself that you don’t take the situation—or yourself—too seriously and you’re open to discussion and deescalation.
Humor also works wonders for awkward situations. Awkwardness thrives on tension, but laughter dissolves it. From conversation missteps or an uncomfortable silence, finding something to laugh about resets the mood it’s like hitting the reset button on the vibe.
What I’ve learned is that humor isn’t just about lightening the moment—it’s about bouncing back. When you can laugh at yourself or the situation, you strip away the shame and move on faster.
Life is full of little challenges, awkward moments, and unexpected frustrations. Finding the humour in them won’t solve everything, but it will make overcoming the frustration easier.
