By Diane Dye Hansen
There’s something special about a good parody. I always get a laugh when something is turned on its head and shown in a new comedic light. Lately, I’ve realized I can do that with my own fallible actions. When I use humor on it, I render it powerless, shut up the nagging negatively in my head, and can actually laugh at myself.
“Well Diane,” you might say, “some things just aren’t laughable.” To that, I say if you have ever played “Cards Against Humanity,” anything can be downright hilarious if approached with the right attitude, although, I wouldn’t recommend that game for the easily offended.
When you are looking to turn something on its head and take serious power out of something that is bugging you, take these things into consideration.
1) Did I do something completely crazy in the situation? If you acted outside of your norm (maybe something completely set you off) can you take a moment get outside of your own head? Can you say, “wow, I really put on the superhero cape in that situation,” or “ha… I play the victim so well I should carry around my own body chalk?” If you can gain distance and laugh a little, it will take the stress right now of it. If you start to act the same way again, you may even stop and giggle, diffusing a situation before it starts.
2) Did something that happened remind you of something else that is funny? Maybe the situation itself isn’t funny, but it reminds you of something that is. After you process the unfunny, use the funny as a way to heal up a bit.
3) Can you take some time to breathe? It helps when hen you take some time, a day or two, away from a situation, engage in some self-care, and get some perspective. You may not find the situation funny at all, but maybe you can process the situation a little better without having the rush of emotion often caused by the heat of the moment.
What are some of your favorite ways to shift your attitude? What are some of your favorite stories where you diffused an otherwise tense situation with humor? The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Her column appears every Monday on Carson Now.
