Studies show that humour has the power to reduce fear and anxiety, resolve conflicts, and help us weather disappointments.

Research also indicates that humour benefits both your physical and psychological states. In fact, studies show that humour has the ability to provide pain relief, improve positive emotions, regulate stress, disengage from distress, and improve interpersonal communications.

According to the Association of Applied and Therapeutic Humor, people experience a 39 percent reduction in stress just by anticipating humour.

There are many ways to find humour and keep your spirits up during the Festive Season and other challenging times.

Where’s Waldo – social distancing edition – click here

Watch funny YouTube channels

Everything from animals tripping over each other to babies. Just connect to YouTube and do a search on ‘popular comedy’ or ‘funny videos’.  Watch these with close family members or just on your own for a quick pick me up.

Watch comedians online

Countless numbers of comedians are offering their comedy routines online. Even with social distancing measures in place, many are still putting out new material.

Look out for people like Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Fallon, Steven Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel who are producing regular material that is readily available. You can do a quick search on the internet or find lots of programs on Netflix or Stan.

Share old stories

Perhaps you have your own funny stories and memories; perhaps there are some from your childhood or when you first got married. Share these with family members over a seasonal drink – whether it’s face-to-face, or via phone, Facetime, Skype or Zoom, what are the silly memories you have from the good old days?

When we share some of our stories, we are creating moments together that strengthen our bonds to each other and the things we are grateful for in life.

Tell jokes

Perhaps you have some jokes that made you have a little giggle to yourself. Don’t worry if they feel a little silly or cheesy – the point is do they put a smile on your dial?

Share these with the kids, or the grandkids and get them enlisted in creating a giggle hub together of shared jokes. These can be anything from ‘dad’ jokes, knock-knock jokes or ‘did you hear about’ jokes.

Play games

Some of the best memories arise from cosy times with the family playing a board game – anything from Ludo to Monopoly.

It’s an opportunity to participate in as a family whether you are face to face or not and have a momentary break from what may be causing you stress. It’s also a great way to lighten a dull mood and bring a little laughter into your home.

What does humour mean for you?

Humour is such a common and easily accessible coping mechanism for many of us.

It helps distract us from the difficulties of our circumstances and allows us to release tension and let go of things that may feel unmanageable in our lives – especially when COVID-19 is in the mix.