It is a common misconception that, if you have depression that you’re constantly miserable, beyond cheer even. The stereotype that people with depression are negative, therefore should to be avoided are the very things that can perpetuate someone’s illness. People with depression do not lose their ability to laugh or appreciate humour. In fact, it can be the best natural antidote to a person’s wellbeing irrespective of their mental health status. Laughter is one of those in the moment things that ground you to appreciate the present.
When you find something funny and laugh, you are connected to it. Your body releases feel good hormones in the brain and you feel great. If you felt stressed before, the laughter has helped you relax parts of your body and your mind. Any tension that you were holding onto before is released. We’ve all experienced deeper forms of laughter occasionally, where we laugh so hard that we end up crying. It really is quite cathartic when that happens. While laughter is temporary, the positive benefits are longer lasting.
Therefore, even in the times of adversity, comedy and humour are crucial ingredients to our wellbeing. Since laughter is contagious, share it with others – it has an amplifying effect. When you make someone laugh, you reduce their suffering. How good is that?
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