About this quote

Picking laughter is a practical choice that lowers the immediate weight of a bad moment and keeps you functioning. It won’t erase pain, but it buys you breathing room and clearer thinking. Ask yourself: do you want to spend time stewing and getting a headache, or use a laugh to reset and move on? Try a tiny habit—share a silly line with a friend or notice one ridiculous detail—and then get back to what needs doing.

When to use it

• After our client presentation fell apart at work: "We can cry about the feedback or laugh and fix it—I'm voting laugh; crying gives me a headache."
• When my toddler smashed the birthday cake in the living room: "We could all cry, or we can laugh and make it a funny story—I'm choosing to laugh; crying gives me a headache."
• Right after I missed the final shot in the game: "Sure it stings, but crying won't help me practice—I'll laugh it off; crying gives me a headache."
• Seeing an unexpected overdraft on my account, I told myself: "I can cry about the fee or laugh and rebudget—I'm not crying; crying gives me a headache."