During recovery, your emotions may be all over the place. You may find yourself doubting that you will be able to cope. After several weeks you may settle into a routine that, although substance-free, feels stagnant and dull. What can be done to make your recovery feel less like a chore, less like minute-to-minute hard work?
In the past, you may have thought that boredom was something to be avoided, yet your life now is consumed by mundane routine, with very little to look forward to. At this point, your recovery needs to be adjusted to include new opportunities to grow, learn and find a new way to look at life.
Is It Okay to Find Humor in Daily Life?
Recovery can be a serious process; it is a huge undertaking. Having a sense of humor in recovery can go a long way to finding success. Finding the bright side of any situation is a big stepping stone towards resilience.
Try finding a peer who has a way about them that makes you smile. Being around someone who can see the humor in things can make recovery much more entertaining and hopeful. Instead of being blocked by negativity and doom, laughing can help you generate more enthusiasm for the task at hand. Finding humor in day-to-day situations will drive motivation to keep going.
How Does Humor Help You Cope With Difficult Situations?
Most day-to-day situations you encounter won’t matter in ten years. Sometimes it is impossible to avoid having a difficult, trying day; the key is to find the humor and look for solutions rather than sit with the negativity.
When little things go wrong, and even when big things do, it is important to keep a sense of perspective. Don’t take everything seriously; most situations are easier to manage if you can laugh about them. When you smile even when you don’t feel like it, you train yourself to find a positive outlook.
How Does a Sense of Humor Help During Recovery?
A positive attitude and humor can help in recovery for several reasons, including:
- If you can find a positive attitude and humor in a difficult situation, it motivates you to find answers, rather than be despondent and negative; try to see challenges as opportunities
- When life feels bleak and horrible, the upside is that you only have one way to go, and that is up
- When you see the bright side of a challenge, you can extend that positive vision beyond today and see solutions and possibilities in the future
- When you are optimistic, you attract others of like mind, and together you can be hopeful and look for real solutions for the future
- Approach life and recovery by looking at it as a fresh start with new opportunities and happy endings
If you can adopt a positive outlook on life and maintain a sense of humor, your recovery will be more successful, and your life will be happier.
There always is a solution, even if you struggle to find it. Finding humor in situations will cause you to remember that every negative is a learning opportunity. As you continue to find solutions to life’s challenges, you get better and better at it until it becomes second nature. If you can laugh at the little things, the big things feel smaller because you have new coping tools to find the answer. A sense of humor and a positive outlook can help your recovery. The Guest House can help you find your smile; call (855) 483-7800.