Pradhi, Week 10 - The Power of Humor
Humor really is the solution to everything.
Awkward situation? Just make a joke. Trying to ease tension after a stressful event? Just laugh it off. Had a bad day, or feeling down about something? Just watch a funny show or movie. I know any time I'm feeling down or bored I immediately turn on the TV and watch my favorite sitcoms (my personal favorites include The Office or Brooklyn Nine-Nine).
Humor in its versatility is what keeps us going, in all its different forms; dark humor, sarcasm, dry humor, wordplay and puns, and many many more that you've probably heard stand-up comedians use. And this isn't just simple speculation, there's an entire science behind it, too.
Research by Mayo Clinic staff highlights both the short and long-term effects of laughter. The short-term effects include stimulation of organs, soothing of tension, and the ability to "activate and relieve your stress response," resulting in a "relaxed feeling." And the long-term effects are even better. It may "improve your immune system, relieve pain, increase personal satisfaction," and even "improve your [overall] mood," which can also lead to improvements in self-esteem, as per the research.
Being a junior in high school, the workload has only increased throughout the school year, and with tons of things to do, there is nothing better than a stress reliever. And the best thing about humor? It can be expressed in several different ways. And it's so simple, too. All we have to do is simply crack a small joke here and there with our friends and there you have it - the power of humor.
I found your blog extremely entertaining to read. You began with a bold claim, that humor can be the solution to everything, and not only presented examples of how it is useful but also scientific evidence that it actually works. In addition, I liked how your blog was structured into several brief paragraphs, which made it significantly easier to read. I find it interesting that you consciously seek humor. I have always seen humor as just another one of the various emotions we experience as humans, but I had no idea that humor had the ability to override all of our other emotions. There have been several occasions where a laugh or a smile has had the power to overcome all of my anxiety or sadness about something. For example, last year, I was extremely sad after receiving a bad grade on a test, as I had studied very hard for it. My sadness, however, was quickly replaced by a sense of calmness and the idea that everything would be okay once my brother cracked a joke about how sad I looked. I am glad to know humor is such a powerful tool that we can all leverage and I will certainly keep this in mind whenever I encounter another unpleasant situation.
ReplyDeleteHi Pradhi! I found your blog to be really informative. I also ended up exploring a similar concept, the psychological and physical impacts of smiling, last week while writing my blog. I definitely agree that humor keeps us going. Even in a stressful time, a small joke can relieve a huge burden. I've especially seen this to be true while I am at robotics competitions. When matches are starting to look a little rough or our robot's been through a lot, tensions go from 0 to 100 really quickly. Everyone gets upset about small issues and arguments break out so quickly. However, as soon as someone cracks the tiniest of jokes, the bubble bursts. We're back to normal (almost). I also really relate to what you wrote about jokes being a lifeline in junior year. I feel like all other matters are so serious this year that jokes are literally our only relief. Your blog was a great read and I found it really interesting to learn about how laughter alters our psychological and physical states.
ReplyDeleteHey Pradhi! I thoroughly enjoyed your blog! I see that laughter and smiling are common topics this week! I read two similar blogs from Jessica and Arushi about the power of jokes and smiling and found them both to be interesting as well! If anything, that proves that laughter is genuinely an essential contributor to our happiness and should be valued in our daily lives!
ReplyDeleteYour writing style is extremely captivating and made your blog that much more interesting! You started off with a short statement that drew my attention and continued with small, digestible paragraphs. I love that you mentioned Brooklyn Nine-Nine because my cousin is obsessed with that show as well! In fact, her ringtone is from the sitcom! I haven’t watched it myself but I will try it out this weekend given you and my cousin love it! After your hook, you delve into the research you found by the Mayo Clinic staff that proves you have looked into the topic and have credibility in your message. Lastly, you finish off with the title of your blog which packages your message nicely and leaves me with a feeling of completion and satisfaction. Overall, your blog is extremely well written and contains interesting information about the effect of laughing! It will be a pleasure to read more from you next week!