When Everything Is Heavy, a Touch of Humor Can Help

“Levity is our primary vehicle for restoring a relaxed state,” said Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director of the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California Berkeley. It helps create a buffer and escape from the mental and physical stress that underpins so much of our suffering, she said. There are studies linking laughter to positive changes in heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension.

So how do you try this at home, without the help of an official humor training? Here are some ways to start.

Look for things that are just the tiniest bit amusing.

Searching for things that are “funny” can turn levity into a chore. Instead, try noticing “what’s true, and a little bit delightful,” Ms. Bagdonas advised. When your angry kid stomps into the room, does she kind of resemble a tiny, drunk dictator? When you pass a dog park, can you appreciate how the entire affair seems like a canine singles bar?

Create a levity diary.

Find time to record your amusing experiences. Maybe on your morning run, a man jogs past you wearing in a Santa suit. During your commute, perhaps the train conductor makes a completely unintelligible announcement, and you make eye contact with another commuter and laugh. These small moments are prime candidates for your diary.

Humor-based intervention studies have found that simply writing down three funny things from your day (or counting them throughout and reviewing the total at night) for one week can reduce symptoms of depression and enhance well-being for up to six months.

When something goes “wrong,” try to take it lightly.

The “benign violation” theory of humor says that harmless improprieties have lots of potential to be funny if you look at them the right way, Dr. Warren explained. So, any time you commit, or witness, an innocuous faux pas — say, forgetting to mute during a Zoom meeting and treating everyone to a conversation between you and your cat — that’s a prime opportunity to experience amusement.

Spend time with people who make you chuckle.

If the thought of keeping a levity journal or laughing at your own misfortunes makes you want to cry, let levity bubble up in the company of loved ones.

Get to know your own sense of humor.

If you’re sure you don’t have a single funny bone in your body, you might not know your sense of humor. Everybody has one, said Jennifer Aaker, a behavioral scientist and General Atlantic Professor of Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. And putting a finer point on yours allows you to wield it.

She and Ms. Bagdonas have identified four humor styles: Those who are bold and irreverent; those who are more earnest and often self-deprecating; those who use sarcasm — masters of the unexpected dig; and those who are expressive and charismatic entertainers.

Understanding your style allows you to notice and appreciate it, and primes you to be more aware of other people’s attempts at humor, inclining you to be more generous with your laughter, Dr. Aaker said.

Make humor a main ingredient in your media diet.

Along with fostering a levity mind-set, enjoy the low-hanging fruit of good comedy. There are an infinite number of posters, TV shows, writers and podcasts out there. Why not exchange some of the grisly crime dramas with content that leaves you feeling amused?”

Read the full article on The New York Times

✨Takeaway: Beyond just making difficult times a little bit easier, practicing humor is beneficial to your health. Studies have shown a relationship between laughing, being amused, and optimistic with reduction in anxiety, stress and depression. To foster more levity (humor) you can do things like making a levity diary, taking things more lightly and spending more time with people who make you laugh.

✨Reflection: What’s your humor style? (Bold and Irreverent, Earnest and self-deprecating; Sarcasm and master of the unexpected dig; or expressive and charismatic entertainers).

#Humor #Positive #Coping #Laughing #Levity #MentalHealth #Wellbeing