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When the whole world decides it’s a perfectly sunny day to turn against you (and trust me, it happens way more often than you think!), there's little you can do about it. You can sit in denial, go into a full breakdown without a return ticket, or you can laugh your ass off through staring straight into the depths of your pain.

In fact, there’s a whole online community dedicated to this coping mechanism where people share examples of self-deprecating humor. No wonder it’s such a huge success! Created in 2016, the r/2meirl4meirl subreddit has a whopping 1.3M members who come here for a daily fix.

I mean, if we cannot fight that pain, at least we can sit right next to it and have a good laugh at each other. So scroll down and upvote your favorite posts!

A growing body of research has suggested that laughing during difficult situations may help to ease our pain and distress. In order to find out how that works, we reached out to Jennifer Williams, the founder of Heartmanity, which provides people with support and vital skills needed to create a healthy and thriving life with relationships that enrich and uplift us. Heartmanity provides groundbreaking skills and programs based on brain science and 30 years of experience.

Jennifer explained that an ability to laugh during painful or difficult situations requires resilience, which is an emotional intelligence ability. “Humor and laughter during tough times don’t mean that we are not taking our lives seriously, but rather, laughing acts like a release valve on a pressure cooker.”

Moreover, “This resilient mindset stems from innate confidence in ourselves to handle life’s curveballs and challenges successfully. The quality of our life is not about what happens to us; it’s about how we interpret and respond to our experiences,” she explained.

#4

2meirl4meirl

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Ryan Deschanel
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hard work, persistence, and never giving up... The things that arrogant toxic-positivity personal development life coaches tell you to do so you feel more miserable and buy more of their books.

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2meirl4meirl

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I I
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we're always the joker , trying to be the light in others lives we need in ours

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Moreover, growing your inner optimist and practicing mindful optimism trains our brains to see the good even when things go awry. Jennifer said that in this way, we start seeing the world through a new lens. “Laughter and humor are wonderful ways to release stress and reset our perspective.”

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John C
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

even better when you try to control your huffing to try and speak normally!

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When asked whether self-deprecating humor can be seen as a useful coping mechanism, Jennifer said that since she believes that we need self-compassion to be at our best, she’s not a fan of self-deprecating humor as a coping mechanism. “In my experience, when a person uses this kind of humor, they tend to be avoiding the reality of what is happening (evading tough emotions like grief or anger) and can be neglecting to take responsible action.”

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Even though poking fun at ourselves is a healthy part of humility, the founder of Heartmanity believes that since deprecating means “to belittle or cheapen,” this type of humor can backfire, so you have to be careful. It may cause us to “feel more overwhelmed and less equipped to handle what we are facing in life,” Jennifer warned.

#10

2meirl4meirl

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Ryan Deschanel
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me : "I'm depressed." Therapist : "Well, don't be." Me : "I don't pay you to sound like my parents!" Therapist : "You don't pay me, you are French."

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Vicky Z
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And don't you feel proud about yourselves when you have made the minimum in one day so you think you should award yourself with 3 days alone at home? Or it's only me?

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“On the other hand, science shows that gratitude helps to alleviate stress, offsets psychological disorientation caused by unexpected suffering, and increases positive emotions and a sense of well-being. Therefore, regularly practicing gratitude is a far more effective strategy for stress.”

Jennifer concluded that “through appreciation, we keep what is most important to us top of mind, and then we can better stay encouraged in difficult or painful situations.”

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K Witmer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The sound of Sunday football on tv still gives me anxiety bc that sound meant Monday was very close

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Ryan Deschanel
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How to get a restraining order, how to find the worst retirement house in the world...

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Katie Lutesinger
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just like the way it makes my skin tingle on a cold morning. The fact that I live alone has nothing to do with it. Probably.

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Lovin' Life
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same... I hate being a people pleaser only to forget to take care of myself

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Isabel Care
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Signed off work. Now have lots of weird and witchy hats that make people smile. And clothing colours that resemble an explosion in a paint factory.

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Pearl
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*When you actually wake up early* Ugh..why did I bother? *Goes back to sleep*

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#34

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notdream
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah, I sense something very relatable… overthinking everything

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#35

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Ryan Deschanel
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Coping mechanisms are the only things that keep you alive. My favorite ones are denial and rationalization.

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#38

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Dina Simoné
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Comparing yourself to others is the best way to become unhappy. Thats why people love Instagram so much. It brings a lot of easy accessible misery in your life.

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WilvanderHeijden
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looking at the way things are going in the world today, this might be the wisest thing to do.

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WilvanderHeijden
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's just the doctrine that all governments use. "Your personal interests are not important to our society." also "Climate change happens because YOU drive a car."

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#44

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Brendan
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Therapist writes, "Funny joke about two donkeys. Remember to use at dinner party tonight!"

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#45

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Ryan Deschanel
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Still better than "pull yourself up by your bootstraps and count your blessings".

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DarkLumiya
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

and for each 7 year old doing that, there is probably a few thousand 7 year olds working in dangerous mines and jobs in unspeakable conditions ,

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Vicky Z
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's so me! My tv is for decoration and always open on the background without sound on!

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Note: this post originally had 98 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.