Spread the gift of laughter this holiday season to reduce holiday stress and enhance emotional well-being. Simple acts of laughter can be the ultimate medicine to elevate your mental health and bring joy to your celebrations.
Spreading Joy: How Laughter Lights Up the Holiday Season
"Laughter is the best medicine in the world." - Milton Berle, Comedian
Are You Prepared for The Holidays?
As the holiday season approaches, a magical and joyous atmosphere surrounds us. It's a time for festivities, family gatherings, and lots of fun. But let’s face it: stress can creep in amidst the planning, shopping for gifts, and cooking. Luckily, the best remedy for both joy and stress is laughter. Simple acts of laughter can elevate your spirits, foster connections, and ensure this season truly is the most beautiful time of the year.
Don't Let Holiday Stress Get You Down!
‘Tis the season to be jolly, enjoy family and friends, and perhaps overindulge. Yet, this time of year can also bring tremendous stress, but it doesn’t have to! Laughter is a quick and powerful way to reduce stress.
As we become more aware of our emotions, we learn strategies to build positivity and effectively reduce anxiety, especially during the holidays. The fact remains: laughing is an expression of emotion that can positively impact us even in challenging situations.
Laughing Is The Best Medicine
When stress-inducing situations arise during the holidays, reach for the simplest, least expensive medicine at your fingertips—laughter!
Yes, laughter and humour are quick and powerful antidotes to life's burdens. Everyday circumstances can create emotional heaviness, quickly stealing our joy. We have to train our brains to manage these situations differently. The more we laugh and embrace humour, the more joyful our lives will be.
Laughter Improves Mental Health
Authors Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., highlight the link between laughter and mental health:
"Laughter stops distressing emotions. You can't feel anxious, angry, or sad when you're laughing. Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more. Laughter shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and diffuse conflict. Laughter draws you closer to others, which can have a profound effect on all aspects of your mental and emotional health." (Source: HelpGuide.org)
The Gift of Laughter
Laughter is a beautiful gift to share with others or inject into challenging circumstances. It’s a natural response we use from the moment we are born—a universal language that breaks barriers and connects us to others.
"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." - Victor Borge
Without question, laughter benefits our entire body, including but not limited to:
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Boosting our immune system
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Reducing stress and anxiety
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Helping us feel good through the release of endorphins
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Increasing joy
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Strengthening relationships
Understanding the value of laughter is essential when managing our emotions. It is a significant driver of our behaviour and is contagious. Spreading positive contagion instead of negative emotional contagion benefits us and those around us. Remember to smile and laugh the next time you feel down. Laughing will significantly improve your mood, resulting in you projecting positivity.
Three Simple and Practical Ways to Add Laughter to Your Holidays
To make the most of the holiday season, try incorporating these simple tips to spread laughter:
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Watch a Funny Movie: Gather your loved ones for a holiday movie night featuring classic comedies.
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Play Humorous Games: Engage in games that encourage laughter, like charades or puns.
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Share Jokes: Create a family joke book and share a new joke at each gathering.
Life can be full of stress and challenges at the best of times, and the holiday season is no different. To manage your emotional health and interactions with others, be sure to add laughter and humour to your day. For more ways to elevate your emotional well-being, especially during high-stress times, check out my book, The Power of Emotion. It’s the perfect gift to keep giving long after the holidays!
This article was originally published on December 15, 2018, and updated (October 2024).
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