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They say laughter is the best medicine. It’s true. Laughing is not only contagious but also a great way to get you out of that sad or doom-filled feeling. Even if you have a good laugh for a short period of time, you do forget what made you sad and filled with doom. Granted, depending upon what gave you that feeling or caused you to feel sad, your mood may be uplifted for a while or even for a whole day. Again, laughing is not the solution to your problems but it might help to alleviate your mental state and give you some respite.
I watch many artists on YouTube and Facebook Reels. What gets me is those who choose to show themselves. It really irritates me how cheerful they are on camera. It’s almost as if someone has just told them the funniest joke or some great news. So much so that they seem to be unable to not smile when they begin explaining what they’re going to paint today. I am certain that they’re not just putting on that smile as soon as they press the record button so maybe they are just happy people who lead blissful, stress-free lives in which things go their way. Of course I could be wrong and their lives are as miserable as a lot of people’s. But if that’s the case, then perhaps we should all take a leaf out of their books and force a smile or a laugh when things get rough. They say that laughing is contagious, the accuracy of which I can vouch for. Even if you’re sitting amongst a group of people who are conversing in a language you don’t speak (which is very rude) and they burst into laughter, I guarantee you’ll burst into laughter as well. It’s happened to me and I laughed along too even though I couldn’t understand the conversation.
But sometimes it’s hard to force a laugh when you’re not around cheerful people or those who really want to make you smile or laugh. Sometimes a whole group may be in this spiral rut and in such cases it’s terribly important to not let your mental state get worse than it already is and I can assure you that watching something funny on television or on social media doesn’t always work. In these circumstances, it’s time to be creative.
Taking a long walk helps even if it’s inside a shopping mall. You don’t have to talk to anyone. All you need to do is walk and if you wish you can always add a bit of browsing in a shop or sit down at a coffee shop.
Speaking of coffee shops, if beverages are your thing, you can also cheer yourself up with a nice cup of coffee or get yourself an ice cream. This doesn’t mean you have to spend lots of money. I’ve noticed so many outlets with excellent promotions on both.
Someone recently told me to ‘drown out the noise’ for the good of my health. Whilst that is good advice, how does one go about doing this when laughing is not the option? Yes, walking is an option even though it only helps to alleviate the stress while one is walking. What happens when one returns to the situation, as one often has to, which created the stress in the first place?
Can being creative, such as arts and crafts, help? I don’t think it does. In fact, this only helps when your stress levels are below a certain threshold. Honestly speaking, there are various stress levels, all of which need different remedies. I feel that art therapy, a newfound fad today, might help someone who is physically ill but my personal experience tells me that it doesn’t help with severe or chronic mental stress.
Honestly speaking, it’s so hard not to be affected by mental stress. If only having a belly laugh helped. If only going for a walk helped. If only shopping helped. If only buying myself a treat to eat or drink helped. If only doing my art helped. But sadly none of this helps if your stress is chronic and through the roof.
