We all know that smiling makes us happy, just as surely as being happy makes us smile.  We know this to be a fact because of a study done by a psychologist named Dr. Zajonc.

In his research, he discovered that when we smile, the facial movements connected with that action make a direct connection with brain activities associated with feeling a sense of happiness.  So, when we smile because we see or hear something that makes us happy, brings us joy, or just makes us feel more positive, we actually are creating happy feelings in our brain by smiling.

But, now we have another study that goes beyond smiling.  We’re talking about humor – we’re talking about jokes.

A Dutch study published in the journal Emotion has come up with a whole new reason why you might not want to delete all those jokes you’ve got cluttering up your inbox.

Madelijn Strick, PhD, the lead in this study team, had this hypothesis – humor, such as jokes and cartoons, relieve negative emotions more than just plain positive stimuli.   Going beyond what we already know, that positive images in general can counteract negative emotions, Dr. Strick and her team set out to find out why a good joke can lift a bad mood BETTER than a non-humorous, but equally positive image.

To cut to the chase, the researchers in this study found that a joke does in fact work to lift a bad mood better than another positive image which is not humorous.  Why?  Well, not only because the humor distracts us when we’re feeling low, but more importantly because of the cognitive work, the brain work, we need to do to “get” the joke.

In other words, the effort that our brain takes to understand the intricacies of the joke, and perhaps the absurdity of the punch line, gets our brain invested in the laugh.  In addition, jokes that either took greater cognitive demands, working harder to “get” the joke, or jokes that produces more of an unexpected punch line, were more effective at producing positive feelings than those jokes that were less complicated, less unexpected, or less absurd.

The mental act of “getting” a joke, resolving the incongruity of a situation, takes work.  With this work in the brain going on, anxiety is redirected and the mood is lifted.  Of course, the recipient of a joke must not be personally invested in a punch line in order for this mood-elevating brain work to happen.  A person would have to be willing and able to participate in the joke to get the benefit out of it.  Personal events in one’s life must not be too closely, and sadly, linked to the punch line.

It’s interesting to realize just how much we need to treat our brain as another organ.  Just like not exercising our bones, muscles, lungs, and heart, if we allow lethargy into our mental lives, our brain will not be healthy.  Properly exercising our brain with a good joke, keeps us alert, less anxious, and happier.

So, set yourself up a joke folder in your email account.  Go ahead, you know you’ve got some funny stuff in there.  Read your favorite cartoon in the Sunday paper, go out and buy a joke book, be open to whatever tickles your funny bone.

Positive images of sweet, cuddly kittens and puppies may make you smile, but a good joke with a great punch line, is going to improve your mood by leaps and bounds and make you feel all fuzzy wuzzy inside!  Have a great Wednesday and have a laugh or two today!

Tags: cartoons, jokes, jokes lift mood, laughter

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