Finding Fun in the Dark: How Humor Helps Us Heal from Workplace Bullying and Depression
Life isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes it feels downright scary, miserable or impossible to find fun and joy—especially when you’re facing the invisible wounds of workplace bullying, depression, or PTSD. Workplace bullying slowly erodes our sense of safety and self-worth. These experiences can strip away our confidence, crush our joy and make it hard to imagine a world beyond the pain. It can feel very bleak. But even in those moments, there’s a surprising ally waiting in the wings: humor.
The Power of a Laugh When Life Feels Heavy
Humour is an important part of my daily self-care. To find fun. Laughter might not solve our problems, but it does change how we face them. I love to laugh. When we laugh, our brain releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins—natural mood boosters. In the middle of darkness, humor can become a spark that helps light the way forward.
Finding even a moment of lightness can shift our perspective, open up space for hope and remind us that we’re more than our pain. Laughter helps us in all aspects of life.
Humor as a Self-Care Tool (my daily mantra is ‘find the funny’)
When discussing self-care, we often think about yoga, painting, baking, fitness, journaling, therapy or time outside in nature. And. indeed, those are essential and everyone has their unique self-care tools. But let’s not forget: joy is self-care too.
While is was in the middle of the darkest times dealing with years of workplace bullying I had comfort movies. Movies or TV shows that filled a void, some were funny another was JAWS (the shark was the RCMP) Watching a silly movie, swapping memes with a friend, or recalling something ridiculously funny that happened during a tense moment at work/home—those are not just distractions. They’re acts of rebellion against despair. They’re ways we say to the world, “You don’t get to take my joy.”
Humor doesn’t invalidate your experience; it gives you breathing room within it. Humour gives us resilience.
Workplace Bullying: Taking Back Your Power
Bullies count on us blaming ourselves they count on us feeling ‘less than worthy’. One of the hardest parts of being bullied at work is how isolating it feels. The shame. The silence. The second-guessing. Especially when no one says anything to stop it. We can’t control people we can control how we react, respond and what we retain. Laughter is the best medicine. But finding ways to laugh—even if just at the absurdity of life events and people. —can be a quiet reclaiming of your power.
It is an active choice. You’re not laughing because it’s okay, but because you’re still here. You’re choosing life, light and resilience in a place that tried to destroy you.
A Positive Attitude Isn’t Fake—It’s Fuel
Let’s be clear: toxic positivity is not the goal. You don’t have to “look on the bright side” or pretend everything is fine. But nurturing a genuinely positive attitude—built on compassion, humor and connection—can become the fuel that keeps you going. I have a positive attitude and for most of my life have been learning the need for boundaries, self-reflection, self-compassion, and forgiveness but I have maintained a great sense of humour throughout the darkest times of workplace bullying.
It’s about resilience, not perfection.
It’s okay to cry. Certainly have cried many times over the years and, yes, it was a release of toxic emotions. It’s okay to struggle. And it’s also okay—beautiful, even—to laugh. Yes, I do that every day.
Resilience Is a Patchwork Quilt
Real resilience doesn’t come from pretending things don’t hurt. It comes from building a toolbox: therapy, support systems, journaling, breathwork, movement—and yes, laughter. Every watched the Golden Girls while on the treadmill? I nearly fell off laughing!
Think of resilience like a patchwork quilt. So, each square is a coping strategy. Some squares are soft, like kindness and rest. Others are vibrant and loud, like dance parties in your kitchen or stand-up comedy at midnight. All of it counts. My Mom is an amazing quilter and her quilts make me feel happy just looking at the vibrant colours and patterns. All of it is valid.
Yes, you can heal. Yes, you can find fun.
If you’re healing from trauma, navigating depression or recovering from workplace bullying, know this: you don’t have to be serious all the time to be doing the work. Sometimes, the most healing thing you can do is laugh at something absurd, find joy in the mess, or simply have a little fun.
Because joy is resistance. Humor is medicine. And fun is a form of freedom. Embrace the fun in life and create skills that help you each day see the positive in life and in yourself. Life is a gift.
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#WorkplaceWellness #SelfCareTools #WorkplaceBullying #PositiveVibesOnly #HealingJourney #happinessisachoice #ptsd #suicideawareness #recovery #joy #resilience #mind #body #Spirit #emotions
