Why do we turn to laughter in dark times?
The world has come to a stand-still. We have united together to flatten the curve of the novel coronavirus SARS-COVID-19 by isolating ourselves in our homes. I always imagined my apocalypse outfit would be old torn jeans, utility boots and a beat up leather jacket. Instead it’s leggings, sports bras and a straw in my wine glass. I wanted a little more Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a little less Bridget Jones in the opening credits air drumming to “All By Myself” in red flannel Pj’s. Although she did alright in the end… so I shouldn’t punch down. It’s a strange situation to go through from the comfort of our own homes. One minute I’m up to my ears in flour baking cookies in blissful ignorance, the next moment I’m b*tch slapped back into reality by a stay home commercial on the radio. It’s a mind game, and we are all finding our own ways of coping with this unusual crisis.
Laughter is an effective coping mechanism
My newsfeed on Facebook is a full-on stream of coronavirus news, memes, warnings, advice, jokes, videos, DIY mask tutorials and political roasts. Some people find it in poor taste to make light of a global collective crisis where millions of people are struggling. They have other ways to rationalize what’s happening and deal with their stress. For others however, humour and laughter is their most effective coping mechanism. It’s a way of taking control back and making sense of a situation that doesn’t make sense. A way of seeing this crisis from a different perspective – one that removes you from being a character in the story and marks you safe as a viewer.
Both reactions are fine. There’s no right way to feel right now. If you find yourself struggling and overwhelmed please know you are not alone. In my post 10 Ways to Ride Out Self-Isolation & COVID-19 I cover practical ways to manage your stress.
A clown is like an aspirin, only he works twice as fast.
Does anyone else scrunch their face up like this when they laugh? Or just me? Can you even see my eyes?
Health benefits of laughter
Laughter has oodles… that’s a technical term for LOTS… laughter has oodles of benefits, mental and physical. When you laugh all sorts of good things happen to your body; it relieves tension, increases blood flow, boosts your immune system, decreases stress hormones and increases immune boosting cells and infection fighting antibodies. Laughter really is powerful medicine.
The physical and emotional benefits of laughter are so great that it is often included in cognitive behavioural therapy for people with mood disorders and those dealing with serious illnesses.
Sigmund Freud and The Relief Theory
Sigmund Freud wrote a paper on laughter called The Relief Theory. He suggested that laughter releases nervous energy, forces us to think differently, and can actually suppress negative emotions. By laughing at something we don’t like/ feel negative towards we are venting our usually suppressed hostility towards it in a safe way. Personally I am hysterical every time I hear a joke about a certain Tangerine Tornado telling his followers to inject themselves with disinfectant.
Laughter can diffuse other more negative emotions. We cannot laugh and cry at the same time, both emotions are extreme and contradictory. The chemical reactions in our brains are different, the facial muscles used are different, even our breathing patterns are different. Laughing is also a communal activity that brings people together. Literally wiring our brains with emotional connections and creating bonds. In fact, studies have proven that laughing with others has exponentially higher benefits than simply laughing alone.
So have at it friends! Share those memes on facebook, keep relentless jokes coming and bless us with more hysterical parodies. Find the humour where you can and exploit the crap out of it. It’s good for you!
Cheers to internet heroes and autotune
Personally I think our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is doing a pretty bang-up job for us here in Canada. Even going so far as to grace us with this special gem. Enjoy!
Cedar Lynn
💚This is great, I knew laugher was beneficial, but I didn’t know it had SO many benefits. Will be making sure to find something to laugh about everyday from here on out! That Trudeau video was a great start😂
Erin
Cedar! You are officially my first comment 😁I’m so glad you enjoyed it, this really only just scratches the surface of how laughter can benefit us as a whole.