Humour can help you thrive in change, remain creative under pressure, work more effectively, play more enthusiastically, and stay healthier in the process.
(C.W. Metcalfe, Author, Lighten Up)
Humour And Stress: Laughter Is Good For Us and Why We Should Use Our Humour More Often
Humour and Stress – For some of us it is a lost art, but it can be one of our most powerful ‘life coping’ tools. It is one of the world’s most potent health supplements, not toxic, low-calorie and absolutely free.
What Is Humour?
Humour is more than entertainment or a quick laugh. Researchers describe humour as a mindset and a resilience behaviour.
One definition I really like is that humour is an attitude focused on generating positive feelings in yourself and for others. It is an active state and a choice that we make.
Neuroscience shows that humour engages several regions of the brain involved in emotion, problem-solving, and empathy. This activation helps us regulate stress, broaden our thinking, and stay grounded when the pressure builds. Whether we are sharing a light observation, finding irony in a tough moment, or simply choosing to smile, humour gives our brains a brief but powerful reset.
Humour and Stress: Advantages Of Laughter
Laughter does far more than lighten a moment — it has measurable benefits for both the body and mind. Research continues to show that sustained, genuine laughter supports resilience in remarkable ways.
Physical Benefits of Laughter
- Releases tension. Muscles contract during laughter and then relax deeply for leaving the body calmer and less reactive.
- Boosts endorphins. These natural pain relievers improve mood and reduce physical discomfort.
- Raises pain tolerance.
- People with naturally high humour traits cope better with pain — even without external humour.
- Those with lower humour traits benefit significantly from funny videos or stories.
- In both groups, watching a funny video increased pain thresholds, showing how humour buffers physical discomfort.
- Supports healthy body function. A hearty laugh can:
- stimulate internal organs
- improve circulation
- increase oxygen in the bloodstream
- strengthen the immune system
- Provides a mini workout. Laughing enthusiastically 100 times a day can have effects similar to 10 minutes of rowing or 15 minutes on an exercise bike.
Stress and Brain Benefits of Laughter
- Lowers stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
- Improves heart-rate variability, an important marker of resilience.
- Enhances cognitive flexibility, helping us think more creatively and respond with clarity.
Social and Workplace Benefits of Laughter
- Strengthens communication and teamwork. People who use humour positively tend to be better collaborators, more engaged, and more creative problem-solvers.
- Improves productivity. Despite common myths, teams that use humour effectively are often more focused and less distracted.
- Builds relationships. Shared laughter increases trust, lowers defensiveness, and helps create psychological safety.
Humour and Stress Reclaiming Our Laugh Quota
Children laugh naturally and often — studies suggest an average 5-year-old laughs hundreds of times a day. Adults, on the other hand, may laugh only a dozen or so times a day. Somewhere along the way, stress, seriousness, and routine crowd out our playful side.
Reintroducing humour isn’t frivolous — it’s restorative. It reconnects us to joy, perspective, and one another.
So Why Don’t We Use Our Humour More?
One of the main reasons is fear. Fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, and the pressure to be serious at work prevent us from embracing humour.
- Fear of embarrassment – Many people mistakenly believe that humour is all about telling jokes, and they shy away from it because they can’t remember punchlines. But humour is much broader than that-it’s an attitude, a perspective that helps us find joy and lightness in everyday life.
- Fear of failure – Humour requires some level of risk-taking. Will people laugh? Will they understand the joke? This fear of falling flat keeps many of us from expressing ourselves creatively and openly.
- Terminal professionalism – Many believe that being serious equals being successful, especially in professional settings. But this rigid mindset can stifle creativity, relationships, and overall well-being.
Today’s workplace environments add new barriers when it comes to humour and stress.
- Digital overload means that most of us rush from one task or meeting to the next with little space for spontaneity. Those small, in-between moments where humour typically emerges — the hallway chat or shared smile — have been crowded out.
- Diverse workplaces also raise the stakes. People worry about humour being misinterpreted or unintentionally causing harm. This can lead to over-filtering, silence, or a reluctance to use humour at all.
However, research consistently shows that positive humour — light, inclusive, and self-aware — strengthens belonging and reduces stress across all groups. The key is being intentional and keeping humour focused on shared experience rather than people.
Terminal Seriousness
These fears can result in ‘terminal seriousness’.
Terminal seriousness is a pattern of consistently approaching life, work, and challenges with excessive rigidity, intensity, and solemnity — often to the point where joy, playfulness, and spontaneity are pushed aside. It’s the mindset that everything is urgent, everything is high-stakes, and there’s no room for humour or lightness.
People experiencing terminal seriousness often:
- feel guilty or unprofessional when they laugh or relax
- struggle to step back and gain perspective
- become overly focused on perfection, productivity, or control
- lose access to creativity, humour, and emotional flexibility
- carry a constant sense of tension or pressure
In short, terminal seriousness is what happens when stress and responsibility squeeze out our natural ability to play, smile, or breathe — making it harder to cope, connect, or think clearly. Humour acts as an antidote, restoring perspective and reducing the weight we place on ourselves and others.
Many teens and young adults are experiencing stress levels, illness, and mental health disorders once associated with mid-career adults, making it harder for them to relax, laugh, or enjoy the present moment. Humour is not a distraction from stress — it’s a protective factor. It widens perspective, reduces rumination, and lowers the intensity of emotional responses.
Adults play a critical role when it comes to humour and stress. We need to model better behaviour, demonstrating that it’s okay to lighten up. Humour and creativity originate from a lively imagination and the ability to recognize and to appreciate the incongruities of life. When we model this lightness, we give the next generation permission to breathe, step back, and see challenges with greater resilience.
Fortunately, the ability to use humour is a skill that can be developed with practice. Here are some personal strategies to help increase your sense of humour.
Personal Strategies To Increase Your Sense of Humour
Use micro-moments of humour.
Small bursts of humour throughout the day — a shared smile, a light comment, or noticing something amusing — are linked to improved mood and better emotional regulation. So,
- Notify your face when you’re feeling terrific. Don’t forget to smile and show that you’re enjoying the moment. A smile can set the tone for more laughter.
- Find funny friends and co-workers. Surrounding yourself with people who have a good sense of humour can make a significant difference in your daily mood.
- Build a humour and stress habit in hybrid or remote work.
Share a light meme in a team chat, start a meeting with a funny observation, or invite others to share “the best thing that happened this week.” These tiny interactions help replace the spontaneous humour moments we lose when working apart. - Buy desk toys to clear your mind and add a playful touch to your workspace. These small, fun distractions can be a source of light-heartedness when things get tense.
- Read the comics and post a cartoon of the week. Share the laughter by bringing a little joy to others in the office.
- Develop a Humour First-Aid Kit filled with your favourite jokes, clippings, or stories. Having these at your fingertips can help when you need a quick pick-me-up.
- Watch funny TV programs, movies, or videos. Make laughter part of your routine, whether it’s at home or during a work break.
- Schedule playtime. Yes, even adults need time to play. Whether it’s a quick game, a creative break, or just some fun with friends, making time for lightheartedness can reset your mood.
- Use humour in adversity. When things get tough, laughing at yourself and your mistakes can help lighten the situation rather than tightening up with stress.
- Send a cheerful card to a friend in need. Sometimes a simple, humorous message can brighten someone’s day and lift their spirits.
- Appreciate today. Looking for the ‘awesome’ moments in each day, no matter how small, can shift your perspective and help you maintain a more positive outlook.
- Practice humour mindfulness.
This simply means noticing the amusing, the ironic, or the absurd in everyday life. It strengthens creativity, lowers stress, and keeps the brain flexible — all without having to “be funny.”
Humour and Stress:
Humour is a choice. One that we all have the ability to make. It helps us release tension, regain perspective, and accept what we cannot change, while giving us the energy and resilience we need to face life’s challenges. Whether it’s through a shared laugh with co-workers or simply learning to laugh at ourselves, we can all benefit from adding more humour into our daily lives.
In our workplaces, humour plays a crucial role in building psychological safety, supporting creativity, and fostering genuine connection. Leaders who model lightness — without sarcasm or put-downs — set the tone for teams to think more freely and collaborate more openly.
When we choose humour, we create room to breathe. We soften the edges of stress, make space for problem-solving, and reconnect with one another in ways that matter.
So, let go of your fears, smile more often, and fight “terminal seriousness” with everything you’ve got. Your mental and physical health will thank you for it.
Contact Beverly about hosting a mental health workshop for your teams on how to prevent burnout in the workplace and other mental health training. Discover tips to deal with stress, build resiliency, and encourage positive stress management techniques!
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
Additional Resources:
What Is Adaptability Quotient (AQ)? A Leadership System for Navigating Change
Humanizing Change: A Leadership Pathway for Supporting People Through Change
What Is the S-O-S Resilience Principle ™ – A Practical System for Managing Stress in Real Time