Levity in Loss The Healing Power of Humor During Divorce
Sometimes, the best way to rise above life’s challenges is to laugh at them.
In honor of April being National Humor Month, here’s a reminder that laughter can help us through some of our most stressful and upsetting times, including divorce. The extent to which having a good sense of humor helps us physically and mentally is greater than many people realize. First, humor is a much healthier coping mechanism than drinking, overeating, or avoiding social situations. Psychologically, humor helps reduce stress by replacing it with moments of joy, surprise, and interpersonal connection. “When you’re experiencing humor, you cannot experience distressing emotions,” says Steven Sultanoff, a clinical psychologist and an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University, in an article for Scientific American. “These emotions dissolve.” Humor is also great for our physical health. In most circumstances, laughing has been scientifically proven to improve breathing, elevate pain tolerance, and promote muscle relaxation. Research suggests these positive effects are caused by the release of endorphins, our body’s feel-good hormones.
With those reasons for maintaining a good sense of humor out of the way, here are a few jokes about divorce: • What’s the only thing divorce proves? Whose mother was right in the first place. • Why did a dentist and a manicurist get divorced? Because they fought tooth and nail. • What did Yoda say to Princess Leia after she separated from Han Solo? “May divorce be with you.” • Statistically, 100% of all divorces start with marriage. • Instead of getting married again, just find someone you don’t like and give them your house. Although it may seem off-color to make light of the end of a marriage, jokes like these are precisely the point. When we’re feeling our worst, being open to a laugh or a chuckle is a perfect form of self-medication. Not all of life’s twists and turns are pleasant, but embracing humor in hard times can help us correct our course.
TAKE A BREAK
Crab Rangoon Mac and Cheese
Ingredients • 1/2 lb elbow pasta • 8 oz Jack cheese, grated • 8 oz cream cheese • 1 bunch scallions, chopped • 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped (optional)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce • 1/4 cup milk • 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes • 1/2 lb lump crab • 12 wonton wrappers
Directions 1. Bring water to a boil for the pasta and preheat the oven to 350 F. 2. Drop pasta into boiling water. 3. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except pasta and wonton wrappers; stir well. 4. Just before the pasta is ready, add about 1/2 cup of pasta water to the cheese mixture; stir well. 5. Strain pasta and add to cheese mixture. Stir, then place it in a baking dish or individual ramekins. 6. Bake for 25–30 minutes until bubbly and creamy. 7. While baking, cut wontons into triangles and fry batches in oil until crispy. 8. Drain wontons and season with salt. 9. Serve pasta with the crispy wonton wrappers.
Inspired by TheFoodInMyBeard.com
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