Laugh more, stress less

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Humor can help reduce stress by providing a positive way of looking at problems. Humor can also help you perceive what's ridiculous or absurd in a situation. To promote humor in your life, follow these steps: 1. Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to laugh, even during tough times. 2. Surround yourself with humor. Try hanging cartoons in your workstation. 3. Seek out humor. Look for humor in everyday situations. Or watch a favorite comedy DVD. 4. Share your humor. Tell a funny true story to a co-worker or friend.

May 10, 2023 See more In-depth

See also

  1. 5 ways to bring play back into your life
  2. A Very Happy Brain
  3. Adapt to put stress in its place
  4. Are your holidays a dietary free-for-all?
  5. Being assertive
  6. Bridge pose
  7. Caregiver stress
  8. Cat/cow pose
  9. Chase away the winter blues
  10. Child's pose
  11. Cobra
  12. Coping with job stress
  13. COVID-19 and your mental health
  14. Does stress make rheumatoid arthritis worse?
  15. Downward-facing dog
  16. Dreading a family holiday gathering?
  17. Ease stress to reduce eczema symptoms
  18. Ease stress to reduce your psoriasis flares
  19. Feeling overwhelmed? Take a break
  20. Forgiveness
  21. Have you had a good laugh today?
  22. Holidays don't have to break the bank
  23. How decluttering your space could make you healthier and happier
  24. Job burnout
  25. Learn to reduce stress through mindful living
  26. Learn to say no and enjoy the holidays
  27. Manage stress through problem-solving
  28. Manage stress to improve psoriatic arthritis symptoms
  29. Mountain pose
  30. Need better work-life balance?
  31. New School Anxiety
  32. Perfect holiday? Forget about it!
  33. Positive thinking
  34. Resilience
  35. Say no, to say yes to less stress
  36. Seated spinal twist
  37. Slide show: Yoga poses
  38. Standing forward bend
  39. Stress and high blood pressure
  40. Prevent stress setbacks
  41. Stress relief from laughter
  42. Stress relievers
  43. Stressed out? Skip the late show
  44. Stressed? Set yourself up for success
  45. Support groups
  46. The power of positive thinking
  47. Warrior 1