All of us enjoy a great laugh on occasion, and indeed humour can be an extremely effective means of relieving regions of tension or breaking the ice at a new relationship. But one thing to keep in mind when using humour is that we all have our own distinctive tastes in what we find funny and different tastes regarding that which we enjoy.

Take note

Some might enjoy slapstick, sketches, joke telling, others might prefer a more subtle, observational style. Laughter was found to enhance our overall wellness, boost our immune system and decrease both our anxiety levels and blood pressure. It releases endorphins, the feel good, happy chemicals in the brain that are released whenever we exercise, laugh and feel optimistic. Laughing for 10-15 minutes has been proven to burn up to 40 calories!

So, if you are struggling to find something to laugh about perhaps watch out for opportunities like Laughter Yoga courses, where they teach you how you can laugh and’fool’ your brain into feeling great. However, not all laughter is good and occasionally we might find ourselves asking,’do you believe that’s funny? Jokes and banter often need someone to be the butt of the jokes, which is fun if they find it funny too.

Keep in mind

But laughing at somebody else’s situation or misfortune can occasionally feel quite callous, embarrassing and bullying, causing many people to feel uneasy. What about those times when you have gasped in horror as a comic tells a story or makes a joke about something that feels very private and uncomfortable, possibly even shameful for you? Embarrassing bodily functions, errors you have made, private issues all appear to be routine topics for observational humour, together with the more outrageous the better!

Do you feel shocked when you hear other people laugh at these cringeworthy stories? But when the laughter has died down it could be quite reassuring to know that you are not alone, that others have had similar experiences, the same horror stories, fears and worries also have happened to them. Just how do you learn that they are ready to share the stories in public and laugh, possibly making you feel much better about it too.

Good to know

Seeing a comedian cause entertainment by discussing details of an unfortunate event can help eliminate any psychological stress, apprehension or stigma surrounding it. It helps normalise things that we might not have enjoyed affect most of us at various times in life. An awful experience could be helped by saying this, ‘it isn’t just me’, it has happened to other individuals also. Sometimes, however, losing our sense of humour may be an indicator that we are stressed and overtired.

Finding ourselves asking, ‘do you think that’s funny? If you begin to notice that you are not entertained by things that you would usually laugh at it might indicate that it is time to question if you are going through a demanding or testing period. Losing your sense of humour might be a valuable instant that you will need to take a rest and begin to treat yourself . Humour is powerful in other regions also. It can help prick somebody’s pomposity.

If somebody’s in full size brag manner, boasting and creating extreme claims, a well-timed appearance, raised eyebrow, sotto voce aside can cause other people in the area to laugh, snort or perhaps stifle a fit of the giggles. These answers are likely to deflate a person’s over-inflated ego. When a point has to be made fast, without a lot of fanfare, humour can come into its own and be the perfect vehicle to use. A pithy riposte or brassy monitoring can quickly introduce another, but appropriate observation into the mix, making everybody stop, think differently and consider different points and options.

Cocnlusion

When relationships are fighting with inherent tension and bad-feeling the sensitive use of humour can help ease a fragile and stressful atmosphere. In such situations a well-observed remark can put a halt to the poor mood and defuse negativity. A self-reflective’look at us’ comment can lead to everybody to laugh at themselves and their behavior. Sometimes, if we are seeking to prevent a subject and do not wish to get drawn into a dialogue, humour can be an important diversion technique, allowing the subject to be changed at a barely perceptible way.

Distracting and deflecting can effectively alter the course of a dialogue and help us avoid any areas of awkwardness. And whilst we might find it funny to enjoy joining in with banter, remarks and jokes made at someone else’s cost it will also beg the question, what are they saying about me when I’m not around? Are they making jokes about me behind my back? You can simply shrug your shoulders and say to yourself,’well, if they are laughing about me they are giving some other poor soul a break! Enjoy the joke, it might well be amusing and it is good to laugh!