Imagine that you are in an argument with your spouse. The anger and tension increase with every spoken word. Then, out of the blue, your partner says something childishly hilarious. Or they tickle you. You start to laugh, and the accumulated tension is instantly defused.
This is one example of a positive use of humor. Now let me tell you about all the other benefits of it. According to research, humor is linked to improved well-being, self-esteem, and coping abilities. Laughing and cracking jokes can be beneficial for your mental and physical health. Did you know that it can even heighten your pain tolerance? However, not everyone has the ability to think of an appropriate joke offhand. And you don’t have to, not always. Studies have found that watching a comedy movie can reduce anxiety at least as much as physical exercise. Yet people who laugh more won’t necessarily live longer. They still experience illness, loss, and heartbreak, and they may even get hit by a car. But using humor after a stressful situation helps us experience less stress overall.
Knock, knock! Who’s there? Boo. Boo who? Sorry, didn’t mean to make you cry. Do you ever cheer yourself up with a joke? Do you cheer others up with jokes? What are they about? We differ in our style of humor. If your humor is affiliative or self-enhancing, it is indeed true that a joke per day can keep the doctor away. But if you are mostly telling self-defeating jokes or you make fun of others, that is, if your humor style is self-defeating or aggressive, it may not be as beneficial.
All of us have probably heard that laughter is the best medicine. We start laughing between the tenth and twentieth week of age, and as we grow older, our understanding of humor changes. The humor of younger adults is related to building social bonds and assessing one’s social standing in their peer group. Elderly people’s sense of humor is more closely related to coping with stress and keeping a fun attitude toward life. However, the amount of laughter and smiling is the highest in our childhood, and according to one study, its frequency starts to decline markedly around age twenty-three, probably because of all the responsibilities that start to pile up with becoming working adults.
So what can you do to make humor a regular part of your life? Every now and then, buy a ticket for a stand-up show, watch a comedy movie, or read some jokes on the internet. If you know that you have a stressful week ahead, buy cinema tickets for Sunday. Think of a funny anecdote and share it with your friends. Find delight in life’s incongruities and absurdities and defuse a stressful situation. Imagine sitting at a coffee shop with a friend, talking about your stressful day. By talking and laughing about it, you relieve the tension and manage your emotions better.
Seriously, look at your sense of humor as a universal tool that can help you make friends, maintain quality professional and personal relationships, communicate better, and cope when life gives you lemons.
References:
Ford, T., & Martin, R. (2018). The psychology of humor: An integrative approach (2nd ed.). Elsevier.
humor is linked to improved well-being, self-esteem, and coping abilities: Martin, R. A., Kuiper, N. A., Olinger, L. J., & Dance, K. A. (1993). Humor, coping with stress, self-concept, and psychological well-being. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 6(1).
https://doi.org/10.1515/humr.1993.6.1.89
heighten your pain tolerance: Ferner, R. E., & Aronson, J. K. (2013). Laughter and MIRTH (Methodical Investigation of Risibility, Therapeutic and Harmful): narrative synthesis. BMJ, 347, f7274–f7274.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f7274
watching a comedy movie can reduce anxiety: Szabo, A., Ainsworth, S. E., & Danks, P. K. (2005). Experimental comparison of the psychological benefits of aerobic exercise, humor, and music. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 18(3), 235–246.
https://doi.org/10.1515/humr.2005.18.3.235
We differ in our style of humor: Schneider, M., Voracek, M., & Tran, U. S. (2018). “A joke a day keeps the doctor away?” Meta-analytical evidence of differential associations of habitual humor styles with mental health. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59(3), 289–300.
https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12432
between the tenth and twentieth week of age: Ford, T., & Martin, R. (2018). The psychology of humor: An integrative approach (2nd ed.). Elsevier.
building social bonds and assessing one’s social standing: Ford, T., & Martin, R. (2018). The psychology of humor: An integrative approach (2nd ed.). Elsevier.
coping with stress and keeping a fun attitude: Ford, T., & Martin, R. (2018). The psychology of humor: An integrative approach (2nd ed.). Elsevier.
its frequency starts to decline markedly around age twenty-three: Aaker, J., & Bagdonas, N. (2021). Humor, seriously: Why humor is a secret weapon in business and life (And how anyone can harness it. Even you.). Currency.