A little levity never hurt during stressful and wildly unfathomable times, so here are some gems for your tittering pleasure.
In this pandemic pandemonium, it feels like the entire world has been flip-turned upside down within a matter of days.
Last week, it would’ve been pretty harmless if a child accidentally bumped into your leg while taking a walk outside (as long as you didn’t inadvertently shake hands in the process).
And now this week it could spell certain doom. “Stranger danger” has taken on a whole new meaning.
And it’s alarming to see the number of people, families, and businesses so rapidly hit with financial hardship.
In this bewildering new era, it certainly couldn’t hurt to take the edge off with a humor break.
Laughter: The Gift that Keeps on Giving!
Last time we virtually hung out, we covered all the glorious (and totally free) benefits of laughter.
You need a recap since the media’s got you eye-ball deep in rapid-fire, up-to-the-second news flashes? I got you covered!
Laughter is the ultimate “giver”—per the Mayo Clinic—by:
- Improving the immune system (huge bonus right now)! Negative thinking creates chemical reactions that add stress to our system, thereby decreasing immunity. Conversely, positive thinking releases stress and illness-fighting neuropeptides.
- Alleviating pain. Laughter stimulates the production of natural painkillers in our body.
- Increasing happiness. Laughter makes it easier to manage difficult situations, and connects us with others (virtually, of course).
- Improving our mood. Laughter diminishes anxiety and depression and makes us feel all around better.
Sheltering in Place => Memes Galore!
These grim times require stress-relieving memes, and thankfully social media heeded the call.
We’ve got our usual suspects (warning: the following are not consistently PG-rated):
But then I happened upon this irreverent gem: My Therapist Says.
Here’s a sample . . . maybe you’re already familiar:
I realize there are other worthy inclusions, however, I haven’t ventured onto Facebook yet—I seem to be missing out!
Great Reads!
Beyond the endless memes, there are also many amusing articles out there to expand our minds . . . or not.
First up, therapy (cuz these insane times call for it, and a shout-out to our hard-working mental health professionals!).
Here are some deep thoughts from Julia Pugachevsky on how to wind down your next virtual session when there’s still time on the clock: So You’re Out of Things to Say in Your Therapy Session.
Now armed with all kinds of probing questions for your therapist during your next Zoom call, we switch to a meditation on sharing.
Sharing Isn’t Always Interpreted as Caring
Whomever first said “sharing is caring” knew what they were talking about. But sometimes the lucky recipient just doesn’t care for the “caring” that we’re foisting upon them.
Emma Rathbone brings us her personal tale of rejection and resilience: Theories as to Why You Refused This Drawing I Made of an Expertly Shaded Cube.
It’s a spell-binding mystery that will keep you guessing/scrolling ’til the very end (of this 60-second read).
BTW: My apologies for exhausting two of your three free monthly articles from the New Yorker! It was so worth it though, right?
Sweatin’ to the Oldies
Remember back in the day when people would go to these places called a “gym”?
Oh, wait. That was just last week.
Well, how the world has become completely unrecognizable since then.
As we now work out from the comfort of our couch, here are some pointers from a repeat author, Ms. Pugachevsky: How To Get Into Working Out As An Adult If You Hated High School Sports.
Friends, we are navigating uncharted waters together, but a chuckle or two just might save the day!
Where do you get your funny fix from? Have some good ones to share?
I’m all ears, as I sit here using my laptop for bicep curls!
~Jennifer
Pulsing Thoughts 