Joke Journaling
We journal for many healthy endeavors; to express, to create, to reflect, to grow, to improve, to expand, to recover and for positive thinking. We even talked about journaling prompts for a
diagnostic check in the health of our relationships.
What if I told you there was a pill, that was FREE for the taking, with no negative side effects, which is clinically proven to:
- • Boost immunity
- • Lower stress hormones
- • Decrease pain
- • Relax your muscles
- • Prevents heart disease
- • Add joy and zest to life
- • Ease anxiety and tension
- • Relieves stress
- • Improve mood
- • Strengthen relationships
- • Attract others to us
- • Enhance teamwork
- • Help defuse conflict
- • Promote group bonding
Would you be interested? Well, the above list is from
HelpGuide.org scribing the health benefits to laughing. You have to wonder about the scientific studies into the health benefits of laughing. Was it just fun to do those studies? Well, evidently, comedy is scientifically proven to be tremendously healthy for us. Surprise! Who knew?
Journaling is about capture. It’s about capturing moments, dreams, observations and ideas. Comedy is about capturing moments and interactions and seeing the irony, the diacotamy and sheer lunacy of the seemingly best laid plans.
Yep, were posting about lightening up, seeing the humor in life as a key influencer to our health. Using a Bic ballpoint pen,
Jerry Seinfeld composes all his jokes on sheets of yellow legal paper, as he’s done since 1975 when he first tried his hand at stand-up comedy. He kept every joke, organized alphabetically, but never intended for anyone to see the pages. He says, “I don’t want to say ‘embarrassed’ but they were a very private thing for me.” Jerry adds, “I don’t want to people to know how much work I put into it. It just think it’s more fun when it seems off the cuff”.
Kind of the definition of journaling: it takes observation, capture and workshopping to come up with the good material. Observational humor can be a little rough and negative so be mindful of if you are “making fun” with deprecating humor or just exposing the irony of the situation.
Here are a few observational humor prompts:
- • See the repetitive acceptance of something and ask why? Like, how did this become normal and what wrong turn in evolution did we take to allow this to be acceptable?
- • When you get unsettled, ask why, and look for the humor in it.
- • Turn a stressful situation into a joke like: It’s February and the Holiday lights are still up? Where’s an elf when you really need one?
- • Write down the “damned if I do and damned if I don’t” scenarios.
- • Jot down mannerisms in others you find charming
- • Observe the quirkiness in yourself and the little routines you have.
- • Gags; “Sorry I lost the tickets”. “Oh I forgot your thing. Just thought your dad and I should have some bonding time together…” Ya know, the stuff that brings shudders at first but then a great sense of relief when they find out you’re just kidding….like April fools.
Yes, comedy comes with a disclaimer, do no harm and don’t be too judgy. That’s a big disclaimer! As long as you amuse yourself, that’s important. If you amuse others, that’s a bonus.
When it comes to journaling it would be hard to argue with the assertion that one of the healthiest things you could do each day would be to observe and write down something funny, amusing or ironic, for no other reason but to goof. Weather it’s “funny ha ha”, or “funny peculiar,” this whole process of observation and capturing your unique take away, breeds authentic perspective and character, aka: charisma.
