I know, I know. It seems impossible. When you're stressed or frustrated and your emotions are heightened, how do you just “laugh it off” like nothing happened? And when you're stressed laughing is the last thing you want to do, at least for me it is. In those times giving into anger seems at the time like the more fulfilling choice.

When we find ourselves in a negative or emotional environment our natural response is fight or flight. But laughter has the power to override this instinct and diffuse the situation. Laughter not only a stress-reliever, it's a peace offering.

Learning to laugh at life doesn't mean you're not in touch with reality. But it does help make life more enjoyable. Lightening up also helps you solve problems and be more creative, it bonds you with others, and it's good for your health.

Here are some tips to help put more laughter into life.

1. Figure out what makes you laugh and do it more often. Maybe there's a radio station with a host who you find funny. How about tuning in regularly? Perhaps it's a favourite show—why not get the box set? Maybe it's a funny friend who you should be calling more anyway. The point is to discover what makes you laugh most and then surround yourself with it
2. Learn to laugh at yourself. How? Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to admit the times when you took yourself too seriously
3. Find the humour in your situation. Laugh instead of complaining. OK so maybe there's no humour. What about irony? Absurdity? There is always something to laugh about
4. Put it in perspective. When you're in a stressful situation ask yourself (before you react): Is it really worth getting upset over? Is it that important? Is it really that bad? Is it really your problem?
5. Realize joy, true joy, is not self-centred. It's not about internal happiness or contentment. It's giving praise where praise is due. (Joy is not dependent on circumstances: Philippians 4:4, Matthew 5:11-12, Psalm 126, Nehemiah 8:10, Ezra 3:10-12)

Laughter is not the same as humour. Laughter is a physical response to humour. So learning to laugh when nothing seems funny really does come down to your attitude and choosing to find humour in your situation. Like Princess Henrietta discovered in the Fairy Tale The Princess Who Had Never Laughed—the only person who makes you laugh is you.