Why humor is good

Sensitivity in dealing with humor is, therefore, essential! Not every form of humor has a positive effect on our well-being. Research distinguishes between four types: connecting, self-strengthening, aggressive, and self-defeating humor. The first two types aim to amuse and reinforce one's surroundings and oneself — the latter two serve to belittle and make fun of oneself or others. While these are hurtful and negative, the first two types of humor can inspire us and help us deal with everyday life and crises better.

The good news for people, who sometimes feel like they might have forgotten how to laugh: humor can be practiced. Especially as humor comes in many ways.

It does not always have to be roaring laughter, a little smile is sometimes enough to brighten up a dark day. The writer Mark Twain once said: "Humor is tragedy plus time. For example, you might ask yourself: What is happening to me right now — will I be able to laugh about it in three months?

Another possibility is to imagine that a mishap does not happen to us, but another person. Of course, this only applies to minor mishaps, but if someone stumbles or slips on a banana peel, we laugh according to the Superiority Theory out of sheer malicious joy. Think about what you used to laugh about — and with whom! Also, think about what you do not find funny. You probably remember jokes, films, or situations that made you laugh. You can then integrate them back into your everyday life: Maybe you have a favorite comedy that you haven't seen in a long time, or you could read a few chapters from a particularly funny novel.

On social media, cat content is still king — so feel free to watch funny animal videos if you like little furballs. Last but not least: act as if! Neurological studies show that smiling causes several chemical reactions in the brain. These cause the happiness hormones serotonin and dopamine to be released and our mood to rise.

The more positive you are, the more likely you are to see the humor in things. Fake it till you make it! Renata Britvec is a freelance editor, writer, and translator based in Berlin. She studied theater arts in New York and philosophy in Augsburg; theater, literature, and aesthetic issues in a social context are her favorite topics. Renata writes i. We know how important it is to be connected to the world around you.

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Intuition aids humor in schema formation and incongruity resolution, and we perceive and appreciate humor more through speedy first impressions rather than logical analysis. As with humor, time perspective is fundamental to human experience. Our ability to enjoy humor is enmeshed with this mental capacity for time travel and subjective well-being. People vary greatly in the ability to detail their mental representations of the past, present, and future.

Time perspective is related to feelings of well-being. People report a greater sense of well-being depending on the quality of the details of their past or present recollections. For example, when remembering a failed relationship, those focusing on events that led to the breakup were more satisfied than those dwelling on abstract causal explanations concerning love and intimacy.

One study found that people who use humor in positive ways held positive past time perspectives, and those using self-defeating humor held negative past time perspectives.

This kind of study contributes to our understanding of how we think about and interpret social interactions. Such research also suggests that attempts to use humor in a positive way may improve the emotional tone of details in our thoughts and thereby our moods.

Clinical psychologists are using humor as a treatment to increase subjective well-being. Our preliminary results suggest those high in humor character traits tend to concentrate on the positive aspects of their past, present, and future. Those who seek humor in their lives appear in our study sample also to focus on the pleasant aspects of their current lives. Though our investigation is still in the early phase, our data support a connection between the cognitive processes needed to mentally time-travel and to appreciate humor.

Further research on time perspectives may help explain individual differences in detecting and resolving incongruities that result in funny feelings.

Experimental psychologists are rewriting the book on humor as we learn its value in our daily lives and its relationship to other important mental processes and character strengths.

Humor often subverts expectations, and punchlines are often the result of an unexpected reversal. Being funny is possibly one of the best things you can do for your health. People at risk for depression tend to fall into depressive episodes when exposed to some kind of negative stimuli, and afterward, it becomes easier and easier for them to relapse into depression.

However, reframing a negative event in a humorous light acts as a kind of emotional filter, preventing the negativity from triggering a depressive episode. Researchers have found that people who score highly in certain types of humor have better self-esteem, more positive affect, greater self-competency, more control over anxiety, and better performance in social interactions. Not all kinds of humor are made equal, however. In the same study, the researchers identified four types of humor: affiliative humor, or humor designed to strengthen social bonds; self-enhancing humor, which is akin to having a humorous view of life in general; aggressive humor, such is mocking others; and self-defeating humor, in which an individual encourages jokes that have themselves as the target or self-deprecate.

The positive contributions mentioned above only occurred when individuals scored highly in affiliative and self-enhancing humor, while aggressive and self-defeating humor was associated with poorer overall well-being and higher anxiety and depression. In addition to working as a mental immune system, research has shown that humor can actually improve your physical immune system.

Laughter can also improve cardiovascular health and lowers heart rates, blood pressure, and muscular tension. Products and services. Stress relief from laughter? It's no joke When it comes to relieving stress, more giggles and guffaws are just what the doctor ordered. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.

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American Heart Association. Accessed March 30, Create joy and satisfaction. Mental Health America. Savage BM, et al. Humor, laughter, learning, and health! A brief review. Advances in Physiology Education. Yim J. Therapeutic benefits of laughter in mental health: A theoretical review. The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine. Lopes-Junior LC, et al. Effectiveness of hospital clowns for symptom management in paediatrics: Systematic review of randomized and non-randomised controlled trials.