BY ANGELA HAUPT
THE BRIEF HEALTH
IF YOU THINK YOUR LIFE IS too boring to be funny, joke’s on you: humor is all around us.
Cultivating more humor in your everyday life is “one of the fastest and most powerful ways to increase overall health and well-being,” says Steven M. Sultanoff, a clinical psychologist and professor at Pepperdine University who studies how people can benefit from the healing powers of humor. “The experience of humor and distressing emotions can’t occupy the same psychological space,” he says.
Adding humor to your daily life can lead to a wide array of benefits. Research suggests that it sparks energy, boosts brainpower, improves immunity, curbs stress, and improves mood. Some of those benefits stem from laughter, which is the physical response to humor, Sultanoff says. But not everyone laughs when they’re amused—and you don’t have to in order to reap benefits. Experiencing humor also has less visible effects; it shifts thinking in healthy ways and provides new perspectives. Plus, it leads to what Sultanoff describes as “relational fusion,” or the social benefits derived from laughing with others. “When you experience humor with somebody, you bond with them—there’s this moment of connection,” he says. “When people are bonded, they generally feel more relaxed, safer, and more comfortable.”
We asked Sultanoff and other experts for their favorite ways to lighten up everyday life.
1. Figure out what makes you laugh
Comedy is like music—we’re all drawn to different genres, says Kate Nichols, a New Jersey–based psychotherapist and stand-up comedian. Think about what kind of humor appeals to you the most, then seek it out as often as possible. Go to comedy shows, spend more time with people who make you laugh, and put on a funny movie “instead of that hard-hitting emotional drama you usually watch,” Nichols says. Social media can also be useful: create a folder on Instagramg or TikTok where you can save the funniest memes or videos, and then return to them when you need a moment of levity.
2. Identify at least one funny thing a day
We’re often oblivious to what’s in front of us until we start looking for it, so set a daily intention to look for humor. “When you wake up in the morning, say, ‘I’m going to find one thing today that I can giggle at or at least smile about,’” suggests Allen Klein, author of The Healing Power of Humor. “Then see what happens.” You’ll likely find the funny in unexpected places—and laugh a lot more than usual.
3. Train you
