Some situations are so absurd you either laugh or lose your mind. Humor releases pressure.
You’re sitting in your car in the parking lot of a gas station eating cold pizza because you don’t really have anywhere to be right now. The kids are at their other home. Your place doesn’t feel like yours yet. And something about the whole thing, the pizza, the fluorescent lights, the fact that this is Tuesday, is so ridiculous that you actually start laughing. It helps. More than it should.
Humor doesn’t mean you’re not taking things seriously.
It means you’re not letting everything crush you.
Sometimes a laugh is the reset button.
Humor helps when:
tension is building
things feel heavy but not dangerous
you need distance from the moment
emotions are loud and logic is quiet
It’s not avoidance.
It’s regulation.
The kind that helps:
gentle
self-aware
situational
private or low-stakes
Think relief, not performance.
It’s especially useful:
during long days
after a rough exchange
when kids are tense
when you catch yourself spiraling
A small laugh can interrupt a bad loop.
Humor doesn’t help when it:
mocks or minimizes someone else
targets your kids
turns into sarcasm or bitterness
becomes a way to avoid real issues
If it leaves you feeling hollow instead of lighter, skip it.
Used well, humor:
lowers anxiety
creates connection
reminds them things are okay
Silly moments matter.
They don’t erase hard stuff, they balance it.
Sometimes it’s just for you.
noticing the absurdity
laughing at the timing
naming the chaos quietly
You’re allowed to find moments of light, even here.
When humor is allowed:
stress loosens
perspective widens
patience returns
resilience builds
You don’t have to be serious all the time to be responsible.