Humor as a Mental Health Coping Skill

Did you know you can use humor as a mental health coping skill? I dabble in stand-up comedy, using stories combined with sarcastic comments from my life as part of the act. Recently, I did a show about my time in rehab in the state hospital system. The entire time was traumatic; I refer to it as the worst four months of my life (What the State of Indiana Doesn’t Want You to Know). But using humor as a coping skill for mental health got me through it, and enabled me to look back on it and see the funny things, such as the control freak staff member who posted a sign that read, "If you fart in the dayroom you will be marked for disrespecting staff and peers!"

Using the Coping Skill of Humor for Your Mental Health

In this video, I talk about humor as a mental health coping skill. Not everyone will appreciate you using humor as a coping skill, and that's okay. You have to do what works for you. It's also important to note that what's funny to you may not be funny to others. That's okay and that's normal. Again, you have to do what works for you. Using humor as a coping skill can be powerful for you. And at the end of the day, that's what counts.

Have you used humor as a coping skill? Leave a message in the comments.

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