How to Develop a Sense of Humor
(Even if You Think You Don’t Have One)
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Think you’re not funny? Think again.
Humor can be learned, and the benefits of having a good sense of humor are endless. Just like Rose Nylund learned the hard way about herring pie (yikes!), you can learn to refine your sense of humor and make laughter a part of your life.
Rose: “Lucky Gunther already had boiling water in his corn pot. Before you knew it, I was kissing her little buttery salted head.”
Here are a few Tips for Improving Your Sense of Humor:
Watch and Listen to Comedies:
Keep funny movies, TV shows, or podcasts at the ready. Comedy is contagious, and the more you expose yourself to it, the better your own humor will become. Need suggestions? Try classic sitcoms like Golden Girls. As Rose once said,
“The older you get, the better you get… unless you’re a banana.”
Hang Out with Funny People:
Humor is contagious, and spending time with people who make you laugh can help you lighten up. As Blanche Devereaux would say,
“I laugh every time I look in the mirror.”
Think your sense of humor still needs a little work? Don’t worry—it’s a skill, like parallel parking or making a perfect grilled cheese. Here’s how to turn up the funny:
Dad Joke: “Why did the scarecrow win an award?
Because he was outstanding in his field!”
Put Humor Front and Center:
Find stuff that makes you laugh and keep it close by. Think about and watch funny people online and steal a couple of lines which are conversationally funny then have fun testing out YOUR NEW MATERIAL. Photos, cards, comics—whatever gives you the giggles. Make a laugh zone that you can come back to.
Watch & Listen Like It’s Your Job:
Comedy Clubs: Local comedy clubs are great places to watch live stand-up and immerse yourself in humor. Share the Laughter Laughter is meant to be shared. Swap jokes with friends, tell funny stories, or just be silly. After all, as Sophia would say,
“It’s not what you do in life, it’s how much you laugh while you’re doing it.”
Comedy specials, podcasts, YouTube bloopers—stock up on funny. Look for local stand-up shows or improv nights. Portland’s Helium Comedy Club is a local place to start.
Laugh at Your Own Mess:
Life’s too short to take seriously. So, you spilled coffee on your shirt before a meeting? That’s comedy gold. Laugh at Yourself: Life’s full of awkward moments, and instead of getting embarrassed, just laugh it off. Dropped your phone in your cereal? Congratulations, you’ve just made yourself a joke for the day. Try to think of your life as a sitcom and think of your own encouraging laugh track or even ask Siri to play a laugh track for you sometimes. “Hey Siri, play a laugh track”
Try Laughter Yoga (Yes, It’s a Thing):
Laughter Yoga: If you’ve never heard of it, laughter yoga involves laughing on purpose until it becomes natural. It may sound weird, but give it a try—it’s a thing! Soon enough, you’ll be laughing without even thinking about it. Forced laughter soon turns into real laughter in these sessions. Look up Laughter Community Portland to try it out.
Share the Fun:
Got a friend who always has you in stitches? Spend more time with them and bring some jokes to the party. Don’t have any jokes in your arsenal? Hit up Powell’s City of Books for some joke books.
Even if you feel like humor isn’t your strong suit, don’t worry. Everyone can get better at laughing. Plus, it’s good for you, so go ahead—find something funny and let out a good belly laugh. You deserve it!
Be Funny:
Some major comedians have done this but for the rest of us we need to abide by the The Golden Rule of Comedy: Don’t Be a Jerk!
Being a jerk is not funny. With that here is a joke which is on the edge of jerkdom:
Dad Joke: “I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised.”
We all love a good laugh, but keep it friendly. This jabs at his wife. That is not really a great idea. Are you telling this joke about someone you know to others? Telling a joke about others would be in bad taste and falls under the jerk column because it is about someone else. Humor at someone else’s expense isn’t cool. Be kind with your jokes and joke about yourself. Here is how to make someone laugh with some silly dad jokes! Yeah, It is funny to consider YOUR situation and people are interested in you, but dont make it about your wife. Think of tossing in a dad joke to the conversation!
HUMOR HEALTH Develop a sense of humor even if you dont have one! Be funnier than Benny Blanco or Claressa Shields, healthier than a Kenedy, and more reliably humorous than chatgpt!
Good Humored Housing for Mom or Dad is easy to find with Golden Placements:
Essentially, Golden Placements helps you manage resources and takes care of the leg work for finding your best living situation so you can enjoy your best Golden Years. In addition, GPS has ideas gathered over years of experience by being Senior Life Specialists. Portland Senior Living and their various options from our Golden Girls specialists are IS NO COST. Community living and finding the right living choice for you or your loved one is important. We help you navigate the details. To conclude, here are more resources to help you learn more about our services:
- You can call us today or continue to read more about Long Term Care Planning with our friends at ACL
- Oregon Defines and Describes ADLs for us legally here: Long Term Care
- Golden Placements RESOURCES to find CARE Services
- Quality locations for you Senior Loved One with the Golden Girls
- Senior Living Near Me – Adult Home Placement
- Explore Residential Care Homes for Elderly “near me”
Diane Delaney, Placement Specialist Extraordinaire
Delaney is the founder of Golden Placement Services. She began this business with a healthy dose of compassion for helping families make educated decisions regarding senior placement. Focused to relieve stress in uncertain senior housing crucial moments. Diane brings about loving change of lifestyle with grace. Additionally, Diane is an accomplished executive manager, Director of Operations in senior housing. Emphatically, she enjoys sharing her experience. Diane enjoys writing about the full spectrum of the transition process for seniors and family members. Read more from Senior Placement Specialist Diane: Ultimate Senior Living Resource Guide >>
LaVona Tomberlin, Senior Placement Specialist
Tomberlin brings a high level of education and experience to you as your Senior Placement Specialist at GPS. She loves writing about improving the lives of Elderly working in private care and in-home care for over 36 years. Geriatrics, Memory Care. In addition, she holds Master of Psychology Behavioral Health with the goal of advocating for those who needed a voice. Basically, LaVona believes helping the families make good decisions. She can help relieve stress in uncertain times making life worthwhile! Learn More: Read articles from Placement Specialist LaVona: End of Life Transition a heart felt Guide >>
Stephanie Brubaker, Senior Placement Specialist
steph.goldenplacements@gmail.com | 971-263-8533 Stephanie got her start working as an administrator for Golden Placement Services. It served her well as she worked in sales and marketing while living in Austin, TX. Now that she is back in Oregon she’s excited to take the plunge and work alongside the Golden Girls as a placement specialist. She feels lucky to receive her training from experienced mentors, her mother Diane, and co-worker LaVona. Stephanie looks forward to being a part of the family whose main objective is to help your family through senior housing options with empathy, integrity, and compassion.
