The title of this post could also be “Don’t take yourself too seriously.” If you’re having trouble seeing the humor in a situation or taking your own project too seriously, check out Movie-A-Minute (also helpful for dealing with pretentious film buffs). It features well-known movies condensed to often comical summaries, such as Citizen Cane:
Orson Welles
Rosebud. (dies)
Reporter
What does it mean?
Everybody Else
We don’t know.
THE END
Although simplification can lead to humor, it can also be useful in distilling the theme or purpose of your story. So try it out, you’ll likely benefit from taking a step back, and you might learn something in the process.