April 2020 | Author Jean E. MacKenzie
A local radio station runs a daily trivia contest. Recently the question they posed to listeners was, “What is it that children do 400 times a day that adults do only 15 times a day?” The correct answer; laugh. I don’t know if this statistic includes people who spend their days with children. I often find myself laughing along with my children (even when what they’re laughing at doesn’t seem all that funny) just because their laughter is so contagious. All the same, I don’t think I would find myself reaching the 400 laughs a day mark.
So, where along the way do we lose our sense of humour? Certainly the responsibilities and concerns we must shoulder as adults are much greater than that of children, but do our worry and seriousness help us shoulder these burdens better? If laughter is the best medicine, should we not work harder to foster a sense of humour in ourselves?
One of the great burdens of adulthood for many is relationship problems. It can be very painful when your spouse, who is supposed to be a source of support and fulfilment, is a source of conflict and stress. How do you maintain a sense of humour while dealing with the difficulties of a strained relationship? Well, again, maybe laughter is the best medicine. Maybe in those moments when we don’t know whether to laugh or cry, we need to choose laughter more often. Not that laughter can solve all of your problems. However, perhaps a little levity in your relationship will strengthen the bond of friendship and give you the strength to work on the deeper issues.
Laughter releases stress-reducing chemicals into your brain, which can enhance your day and improve your health, but what does that have to do with relationships.
Well:
Laughter and humour relieve tension, lift spirits, and bring couples closer together.
Laughter creates a greater sense of connection between people.
Using gentle humour often helps you tackle sensitive subjects, resolve disagreements, and reframe problems.
A sense of humour is the key to resilience. It helps you take hardships in stride, weather disappointment, and bounce back from adversity and loss.
The use of humour helps to put things into perspective.
Humour can help you to be more creative in your problem-solving.
Humour helps you to be more spontaneous, let go of defensiveness, release inhibitions, and express your true feelings, which can all benefit your relationship.
It makes sense that a sense of humour can improve your marriage, but what if you don’t have a sense of haha. How do you regain a lost sense of humour? My suggestion: Ask an expert. Surely you can learn something from someone who laughs 400 times a day.
When asked, “What role does humour play in the life of a pope?” Pope Benedict replied,
“I’m not a man who constantly thinks up jokes. But I think it’s very important to be able to see the funny side of life and its joyful dimension and not to take everything too tragically. I’d also say it’s necessary for my ministry. A writer once said that angels can fly because they don’t take themselves too seriously. Maybe we could also fly a bit if we didn’t think we were so important.”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all learn to fly in our relationships!