Laughter: The path to positivity?

How does laughter affect your mood? This question seems easy to understand but there are many contributions that work towards why laughter is so important in communication and how our mood is affected by it. Laughter plays a vital role in relationships with strangers, friends or family and can change the way we think about others. It can show us many things, from how long people will be together to how people feel about us. Laughter can be like a two way street, not only does it benefit the person receiving it, but also the person initiating it.

Data collected from a questionnaire at the St Marylebone School shows that a majority of the students and teachers think that laughter does affect their mood.

Leading neurologist and stand up comedian, Sophie Scott, told us that she began studying the communicative nature of laughter. She found that it changes the way you and others around you think.

“It feels so rewarding when they laugh,” Scott says, as she comments on how being a mum and a neurologist is not the usual comedian combination, so the thought of the audience reacting positively is a pleasant surprise. Scott explained that clapping and laughing at a funny joke makes people feel happier than if they were to just stare and think you are not that funny.

Overall Scott suggests that laughter is one of the best ways to change someone's mood, and how it can be upsetting when someone doesn’t laugh.

Scott is not the only one who has suggested this. David Baddiel, a British comedian and author most well known for his hilarious stand-up comedy acts and entertaining Young Adult book, says that when people laugh, “It’s very gratifying, and exciting. It also makes you feel very validated in some way.” Laughter is clearly a way of showing interest towards a person, often leading to someone’s mood lifting.

One scientifically proven way of using laughter to improve your mood is laughter yoga. These classes are typically held in the mornings in outside places originating in India. This class consists of the participants making eye contact, telling jokes and just enjoying themselves. This is an example of people having a away to use mindfulness and humour as a medicine .

Therefore, even through difficult times, laughing seems to be a natural remedy that humans can always use to combat everyday struggles and brighten everyone’s day.