— Why you should laugh at your anxiety (and how to do it) —

Ask yourself, what’s funny here? Think of amusing ways to describe your worry to someone else. What is absurd about the situation? Exaggerate something that is mildly funny so that it becomes ridiculous. Of course, worrywarting itself is absurd, so you can always satirize the worrywarting, if not the actual worry. After you have created your comic routine, find someone — your spouse, a friend, a co-worker — to try it out on.

Give your audience permission to laugh at your absurd worrywart routine. Make sure you also laugh.

All quotes above from
The Worrywart’s Companion
by Dr Beverly Potter

Laughter’s kind of close to tears, I think.

And yet it helps.

Note:
Speaking of comedians suffering from mental illness, if you haven’t seen it yet, check out Felicity Ward‘s documentary, Felicity’s Mental Mission, first shown during Mental Health Week on the ABC but currently still available for watching. Candidly, but without self-pity, Felicity shows herself at her most vulnerable. It’s excellent viewing.