How important this is. As we struggle through this life – and it can be a struggle – we need to keep a sense of proportion about it. What we do and what we take seriously can often be so far removed from what it is actually all about that it is laughable. We get bogged down in trivia, lost in irrelevant detail to such an extent that our life can whizz past and we don’t even notice. By letting go of things that really aren’t important we can put ourselves back on the right track. And the best way to do that is through humour – laughing at ourselves, laughing at our situation, but never laughing at others; they’re just as lost as us and don’t need to be laughed at.

We get bogged down with things like worrying what the neighbours will think, concerns over stuff we don’t have, or things we haven’t done: ‘Oh no, I haven’t washed the car for two weeks and it’s filthy and next door did theirs yesterday so it looks like we are really slovenly’. If we ever think we’re getting like that then we do need to have a laugh about it. Life is for living, enjoying the sunshine, big things – not getting in a terrible state because you dropped some eggs on the supermarket floor.

Laughing at yourself and situations you find yourself in has a double positive effect. Firstly, it diffuses tension and helps regain a sense of proportion; and secondly, it has real physical as well as mental benefits. Laughter causes the release of endorphins, which make you feel better as well as giving you a better perspective on life.

This isn’t about telling jokes all the time, or cracking witty puns. It’s more about being able to see something funny in whatever life throws at us along the way – and there is always some humour in everything. I once came round after being unconscious from a serious car crash. I was in a cubicle in a hospital and in great pain. As I regained consciousness I let out a couple of choice words to describe my condition and, as I did so, the nurse arrived and opened the curtains, only for me to find a nun sat outside.^* I was mortified and immediately apologized. She looked at me most gravely, winked, and quietly said, ‘It’s OK, I’ve said worse myself’.

If you observe any aspect of human behaviour, you can see the ridiculousness in all of it. Learn to find the funny side of everything. It’s the best technique for instant stress relief and dissolves anxiety and doubt. Try it.