Nervous Laughter

Someone recently told me that he always started laughing when he was in an argument with his wife, which unfortunately only made her more angry. I explained to him that this was nervous laughter and was an intelligent thing to do. It was his body’s innate wisdom getting him to relax by laughing. Hopefully by relaxing he could then deal with the issues at hand more effectively. I used to do the same when my partner confronted me. It felt a bit bizarre, but it was often my first spontaneous reaction.

There used to be someone in my life that I got very nervous around and I found myself making constant jokes around him. Again it felt a bit bizarre to instantly turn into an incessant comedian, but I realized I did it unconsciously to relax myself.

My dentist’s assistant is a great laugher. I told him it’s a very helpful way for me to relax in the dreaded dentist chair. All dental assistants should laugh.

Laughter is the body’s instinctive response to stress. The higher the stress, the more the need for laughter. It’s why comedians often have challenging life histories, especially when they were children. Hence they develop the skill to laugh and make us laugh along with them.

If someone is laughing in an odd situation, know that they are only trying to relax themselves, by breathing deeper, relaxing muscles, relaxing spirits, in an effort to function better in the current situation.

When in doubt, laugh.

Photo: stock.xchnge