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Humor has a profound positive impact on our brain chemistry, but as we age we allow our humor to unnecessarily wane.

Back in April I was home watching the kids.

Earlier in the day we were out taking a walk and my 8 year old son asked if we could do a “roast”?

It caught me by surprise, but I was all for it. 

Back in the day, I was a jokester so I was eager to see if I still had it. 

The next hour or so of our walk was filled with, “your momma is so…”

Your momma is like the sun… big, round, and hard to look at!

Your momma is so trashy… when she stepped out of the uber the driver got fined for littering!

Your momma is do dumb… she tried to use a ruler to measure her sleep!

Your momma is so fat and old… when God said let there be light, he had her to move out of the way!

Now, this went on for over an hour and those 4 jokes represent most of my solid material so the kids had to endure some really bad jokes. Yet, they were still laughing so hard.

I, on the other hand, only laughed a fraction of the time they did. 

Why did laughter seem to come so much more natural for them? 

Am I losing my sense of humor?

Compared to my teenage years. I laugh like 90% less than I used to.

Are you the same? 

This had me curious, so I looked into what happens to our humor as we age and the findings were fascinating. 

In this issue, we’ll delve into some interesting humor science and discuss its implications on our overall health and well-being  .

Exploring Our Sense Of Humor

Think back to your teenage years. What were some of the funniest moments you can recall?

Chances are when you reflect on those moments they don’t feel as hysterical. 

What gives? Do we lose our sense of humor as we age?

Science tells us we start to develop our sense of humor around 4-months old.

What’s crazy is our humor development rate is task dependent. So nonsense, puns, playing with social rules, and tricks all have their own trajectories.

After adolescence, we begin laughing less. Researchers call it the humor cliff!

Our laughter diminishes year over year, until we reach our 80’s then we start to see and uptick. 

When we look a little deeper we find that it’s not that our humor diminishes but our taste in humor does. 

Ultimately, studies found that as we age we appreciate “self-enhancing humor” more. 

Self-enhancing humor is defined as comedy in everyday situations, often by humorously targeting oneself in a good-natured way.

So, it’s not that our humor wanes. We simply don’t put ourselves into enough situations to make light of our realities. 

Like all things, humor is a skill. Yes, humor can be trained. It must be trained if we want to cultivate our full potential as leaders. 

You might be wondering why?

Well, humor, specifically laughter, positively impacts our health and well-being.

Laugh For The Health Of It

How can we use humor to build resilience and better cope with challenges?

There's a wealth of evidence supporting the idea that humor is good for our health. Here are some of the key benefits that have been discussed in scientific literature:

Stress Reduction: Laughter has been shown to reduce levels of cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone. It also triggers the release of endorphins, our natural feel-good chemicals. This combination can lead to a sense of relaxation and well-being.

Immune System Boost: Some research suggests that laughter might enhance immune system function by increasing the production of antibodies and activating immune cells. While more research is needed, the potential link between humor and immunity is promising.

Pain Management: Laughter's ability to release endorphins can act as a natural painkiller. It can also distract us from pain and create a more positive outlook, making pain more manageable.  

Improved Mood: Laughter is a natural mood booster. It can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety and promote a more positive outlook on life. 

Enhanced Social Connection: Sharing laughter with others creates a sense of bonding and belonging. Humor can break down barriers and foster stronger relationships.

These are just a few examples of the many ways humor can benefit our health. 

By cultivating a sense of humor and incorporating laughter into our lives, we can tap into this powerful tool for well-being.

Lighten Up

We could all benefit from becoming a little less serious and more playful about life. 

Here are a few tactics I pulled from the protocols used in the research studies I reviewed. 

1. Identify the nature of your sense of humor. When you have a better appreciation for the things you find humorous you can be more intentional about incorporating them into your life. From Cat Videos to Political Satire to Sport Bloopers the possibilities are endless.

2. Laugh more. If you’re not laughing on a daily basis, that’s a sign you need to lighten up. Be more mindful of the humor in daily life, learn to laugh at yourself, and practice finding humor in stressful situations. 

3. Improve your ability to tell jokes. Practice creating jokes and telling jokes. Engaging in this process will broaden your humorous perspective.

Humor is a powerful tool that can help high performers optimize their brain function, improve their mood, and enhance their overall well-being. 

Incorporating humor into daily life, whether through watching funny movies, reading humorous books, or simply spending time with friends who make you laugh, can have a significant positive impact.

Since doing this research I’ve started to incorporate more humor into my life and I’ve noticed a difference. A considerable difference in my mood. 

I’m laughing a lot more. I’m generally more cheerful. 

Curious to hear about the positive impacts humor has on you.

P.S. If you have a good “Your Momma” joke, hook your boy up!