Have you ever noticed how good comedians are almost always talking about the miseries they’ve encountered? Or how hilarious it can be watching videos of people captured on their front porch cameras slipping on ice and sliding down the stairs? Even throughout literature, such as Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, life’s absurdities and unfortunate mishaps sometimes pile so high that they cross the line from tragic to downright funny.
There is a type of humor that can emerge during difficult times, and it’s something we can all access. Learning to find moments of laughter can be a powerful coping skill. It can elevate our mood, encourage more flexible thinking, strengthen our connections with others, and build resilience in the face of adversity.
An important disclaimer: laughter can be a healthy coping strategy, but it can also become a form of avoidance. If you’re using humor to avoid processing what you’re going through, it may ultimately prevent healing. A therapist can help you distinguish between healthy emotional processing and avoidance.
When life feels dark or overwhelming, our inner world often begins to mirror our external circumstances. It’s completely normal to experience sadness, fear and confusion during difficult times. Sometimes, however, we can become stuck in these emotions and feel unsure of how to soothe ourselves or move forward. Fortunately, there are many evidence-based therapeutic approaches that can help, alongside something surprisingly powerful: laughter.
The Effect of Laughter on the Nervous System
Laughter isn’t simply a reaction. It’s a full-body neurochemical event.
When you genuinely laugh, multiple systems within the brain and nervous system begin to shift. The brain releases endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, chemicals that naturally elevate mood, reduce pain and promote a sense of wellbeing. At the same time, stress hormones such as cortisol begin to decrease.
From a nervous system perspective, laughter helps shift us out of a fight-or-flight state and into a more regulated, grounded one. Our breathing deepens, muscle tension softens, and the body receives the message that it is safe.
This is part of why laughter can feel so relieving. It doesn’t just change our thoughts. It changes our physiology.
Laughter Creates an Opening Within Us
When we laugh during stressful times, we often experience a greater sense of mental spaciousness. As the nervous system becomes more regulated and mood-enhancing neurochemicals increase, we gain greater access to creativity, perspective and confidence in our ability to cope.
This internal shift creates room for clearer problem-solving and can help us begin finding meaning within difficult experiences. It allows us to step outside our immediate emotional reaction and recognize that we have agency in how we respond to life’s challenges.
The next time life throws you a curveball and you’re able to find even the smallest moment of humor, give yourself permission to smile. Share a laugh with someone you trust.
Then allow yourself to appreciate one of life’s beautiful paradoxes: that we are capable of holding joy and pain at the same time.