In this day and age, it is difficult not to come across a joke or gag anywhere, whether it be on social media apps, told by your friends, or on advertisements. Humor is designed to captivate its reader and attract views, confirmation, or customers. By studying humor, issues like mental health benefits and joke processing can be uncovered and studied to better understand humans. But what even is humor? 

What makes something funny? 

            Humor is tied to the element of surprise. We humans are incredible at pattern recognition, and when someone can play with this sense to evoke surprise, humor comes up as well. On top of this, taboos play a crucial role in how humans perceive humor. When something widely perceived as strange to reference is the main punchline of the joke, for example, human body parts, that reference breaks our expectations, and therefore evokes a sense of laughter in us. 

How does humor affect psychology? 

            On one note, humor is scientifically proven to improve mood and mental wellbeing. This is because laughter decreases the amount of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, while also triggering the release of endorphins, dopamine, and oxytocin, which are commonly known as the love and chocolate hormones, giving a sense of intimacy with humor. Additionally, recent studies in mental health settings like therapy sessions have shown that introducing humor can lead to the reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms, boost self-esteem, and improve social communication and willingness to interact with other people. In essence, humor boosts our long-term morale and helps us form strong social connections, helping people endure through difficult times. 

            Apart from this, laughter has many other productive effects. Laughter decreases cortisol, resulting in a healthier hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for memory) and as a result, better memory! On top of this, humor allows for more creative thinking and mental focus because of the stress release. So the next time you are struggling to focus for an exam, or are burnt out from your workload, take some time off and find some laughter — it can help more than you think! 

How to incorporate humor into your day 

            We have talked about the benefits of humor, but how should one go about achieving these effects? For one thing, in high-stress areas like your office or during school, take advantage of technology around you. In offices, listen to your favourite podcaster comedian, or watch a funny movie in the background to lighten up your day. During school, use your break time and lunch to play sports with your friends outside, or keep a stress-reducing toy nearby.

            Of course, we cannot talk about humor and ignore joke making! Find time to hangout with your friends, share funny stories and tell jokes. Keep in mind that therapeutic humor sessions should lift others up and lighten the mood, and not use jokes to target someone or a group. Knowing what is appropriate to say will make humor so much more rewarding! 

References 

Gregory, S. Y., & Creagan, E. T. (n.d.). The health benefits of humor. Mayo Clinic Press. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/healthy-aging/the-health-benefits-of-humor/

Humor: How it Affects Your Mental Health and What You Can Do to Develop a Good Sense of Humor. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/how-does-humor-affect-mental-health

Young, E. (n.d.). Humour | BPS. British Psychological Society. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/humour