From Awkward to Connected: The Power of Shared Laughter

Over the weekend, my wife and I were on a double date with a couple that we were getting to know. As is common when getting to know people, there were times of awkwardness, conversation lulls, and overall uncomfortable feelings. A couple of hours into the get together, something happened that caused all four of us to laugh hysterically for ten minutes straight. From that moment on, we felt more connected with the couple and the awkwardness completely dissipated for the remainder of the evening.

Why Laughter Matters for Mental Health

Laughter is a powerful thing that can have a significant impact on overall mental health. I’m sure you can identify instances in which your mood was low or off and a funny experience had a quick and significant impact into improving your mood. Neurological research has shown that laughter is a very complex process that includes multiple regions of your brain which helps you get out of your head and become grounded into the present moment. This makes it near impossible to experience distressing emotions such as anxiety, anger, or sadness while laughing. Additionally, laughter helps relax your body, shift perspectives, and help you feel more connected to those around you.

It is very important to incorporate laughter into your day-to-day life if you are wanting to improve your mental health. However, the presence of depression, anxiety, addiction, difficult relationships, etc. can make it difficult to have meaningful experiences with laughter. These issues also make it more difficult to consider things that can bring laughter. If you are struggling to identify activities that can bring laughter, consider engaging in the following:

–       Watch a funny movie, TV show, or online video

–       Organize a group trip to a comedy club

–       Spend time with funny people

–       Share a joke or funny story with a loved one

–       Host a game night with friends

–       Play with a pet

–       Make time for fun activities (e.g. bowling, mini golf, goat yoga)

Make Room for Humor in Healing

If you are struggling with your mental health, I would encourage you to consider how often you are having moments of genuine laughter. If you find that you don’t laugh often, set goals and make plans to make more space in your life for humor and see what kind of difference it can make in the way you feel about yourself, others, and your environment.