What to Do When You've Forgotten How to Laugh

There are times when life feels heavier than usual, where everything takes more energy and even the smallest things can feel like effort. In those moments, laughter can feel far away, almost like something that belongs to a different version of you, and it can even feel slightly uncomfortable or impossible to reach for it.

This is often the moment where laughter can support you the most. Laughter isn't just reserved for when everything is going well. It is a way you begin to guide yourself back towards feeling better, it feels freeing when you allow it to flow.  There can be a idea that laughter should come naturally or match your mood before you allow it in, yet your energy does not need to work in that order.

You can begin with a small shift and allow the feeling to follow.

The FRED scale, Feeling Radiant Every Day, is a simple way of noticing where your energy sits without judgement, and that awareness alone can begin to shift things. When your energy feels heavy, it simply means it has become a little dense, and laughter brings movement back into that density, creating space even if it is only slight at first.

Why Laughter Supports You When Life Feels Heavy

Think of your energy like a scale between density and lightness or on the FRED scale between -10 and +11. When stress builds, when emotions feel stuck, or when your thoughts loop, your energy can feel slower and heavier. Laughter introduces movement, lifting and shifting your state so you reconnect with a lighter part of yourself.

This does not remove what you are going through, but it changes how you experience it and it is allowed for life (and you) to feel ok no matter what is going on.  From that place, your thinking stops looping, your body relaxes, and you can meet life with more clarity and a little more ease and less effort.

Three Simple Ways Back to Laughter

When laughter feels far away, you can create a pathway back to it through small, accessible shifts that allow it to return naturally.

Let a memory lead you...
Bring to mind a moment that made you laugh recently or even in the distant past. It could be something small, a conversation, a clip, or a shared moment. Let yourself replay it for a minute and notice how your body begins to respond.

Let sound come first...
Start with a simple exhale, a small breath out, or even a quiet chuckle. It may feel neutral at first, which is completely fine. Sound creates movement and movement allows laughter to build.

Let your body shift first...
Stand up, stretch, or move your shoulders. A short walk around the room can begin to change how you feel. Your body and your energy are connected, and when one shifts, the other follows. I like to try a couple of skipping steps...that always raises my energy.

What I Am Choosing Right Now

This month, I made a simple decision to bring laughter into my day in a very real and practical way. Each evening, we sit down and watch a short episode of Would I Lie to You on TV or youtube and it makes us laugh out loud every single time.

I am not hoping it will fix whatever is going on in the moment but just having a willingness to invite that energy in.

And yet, the effect is clear. It lifts the energy of the whole evening, creates connection, and reminds me that lightness is always available, even on days that feel full or stretched.

Small choices like this build momentum and gently bring you back to yourself.

A Simple FRED Reset You Can Try Now

Pause for a moment. Take a slow breath in, and as you exhale, look up at the ceiling and smile!  Feel your back straighten as you look up and expand your chest as you breathe in again. 

Stay there for a few breaths and notice what begins to shift. You are not forcing the feeling, it is giving your body and your energy a new direction towards lightness, even if it's tiny.

Laughter Is Part of the Shift

There is a common idea that laughter comes at the end, once everything feels better, yet it often sits much closer to the beginning. It is one of the ways you move yourself forward, reconnect with your energy, and begin to feel lighter again.

It can start with something very small, and that is more than enough.

If You Would Like Support With This

If having simple, daily ways to shift your energy feels supportive, my Awaken Your Light program offers a structure that helps you reconnect with yourself and build momentum in a way that feels natural and aligned.

You can explore it here: https://livelifelightly.lucymccormack.com/awaken-series 

A Question for You

What is one small way you could invite a little more lightness into your day today?