A study in Norway found that people who laugh more live longer. Laughter can be a bridge to inner calm and the refuge to bounce back from difficulties in life. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us, “It is cheerful to God when you rejoice or laugh from the bottom of your heart.”

The world can feel like an overwhelming place sometimes, and we may feel stuck or flooded with worry, anger, and disillusionment. Oftentimes, our focus may even be on our storyline, with a sense of “This is it, my suffering defines me,” and we can miss being present in daily life.

Sound familiar?

When this happens, we are not able to observe the whole picture and may get stuck in certain thought or behavioral patterns. As we are spinning in our intellect, we can block the natural flow of not only our own mind but also our connection to everything around us. We may get wrapped up in mental patterns of fixing using our "smart mind," the protective mind that serves to keep us alive, and instead live from survival mode. When we do this, we actually strengthen a groove in our brain to follow a mental pattern of fear and worry where our higher thinking is temporarily offline. When this happens, we are not even able to notice the different routes of thinking that can offer us more peace, ease, and new ways of being as challenges arise.

So what’s the solution?........

© Psychology Today