As adults, we have a lot on our shoulders. There are bills to pay, deadlines to meet, and seemingly endless things to take care of. But remember when life was a little simpler?
When our biggest problem was getting a bad grade at school, and we could spend hours laughing with friends over the most ridiculous things? Somewhere along the way, many of us seem to have forgotten how to have fun without a care in the world.
The good news is that our playful side doesn’t have to disappear just because our age is now a two-digit number. In fact, one study involving more than 4,000 adults found that people who were more playful also tended to report being happier.
Interestingly, playfulness remained relatively stable across different age groups, suggesting that getting older doesn’t necessarily mean becoming more serious.
It might sound counterintuitive, but being a little silly could actually help you do better at work or school. A study involving 254 university students found that those who were more playful tended to get better exam grades.
They were also more likely to do extra reading beyond what was required to pass. Apparently, having a little fun doesn’t have to get in the way of getting things done!
Being playful could also be one of the secrets to a happy relationship. A study involving 211 couples found that people who enjoyed playful interactions with others or liked playing with words and ideas tended to report greater relationship satisfaction.
After all, having someone around who can make you laugh and share lighthearted jokes with you sounds pretty great!
Speaking of humor, laughter can actually do wonders for our stress levels. In 2023, researchers reviewed eight studies involving 315 people to see how laughter affected cortisol.
They found that laughter-based activities were linked to an average 31.9% reduction in cortisol levels compared with control groups. Some of those activities were as simple as watching a funny video, which sounds like a pretty enjoyable way to unwind.
The benefits of a good laugh might go beyond helping us relax. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that laughing together can strengthen social bonds.
It seems that sharing a laugh helps people feel closer to one another, partly through the body’s natural endorphin system.
Perhaps that’s one reason why sending a funny meme to a friend or laughing over an old inside joke can feel so nice. You’re sharing a little moment of happiness with someone else.
