Laughter is amazing for your physical and mental health. It reduces stress and anxiety, boosts your immune system, gives your muscles a workout, and distracts you from any pain that you might be feeling.
On top of that, humor is a fantastic excuse to socialize with people and strengthen your positive relationships, which are fundamental for your health, happiness, and longevity. So, if you plan to laugh by going to a stand-up show, watching a funny movie, or scrolling silly memes, you can reap the social benefits, too, if you do it in good company.
One recent study that looked at the role that humor plays in mental health found that your preference for humor can impact your emotional response.
For example, if you are more of a fan of lighter comedic content (characterized as fun, humor, nonsense, wit), your anxiety will drop when you experience this type of humor.
The same holds true for fans of darker content who consume dark humor (sarcasm, cynicism, satire, irony): their level of anxiety will drop as they experience it.
Meanwhile, consuming humorous content that goes against your preference can actually increase your anxiety. So, if you’re a fan of lighter humor, consuming darker content might make you feel bad, and the same might go for fans of dark humor being exposed to light humor.
Dark humor, which makes light of topics that should be off limits, is neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’ but rather a tool, and it all depends on how you use it. At least according to Claire Brummell from ‘The Universal Needs.’
“Dark humor is a tool that can be used to great effect while navigating some of the difficult times in our lives. However, it can also set our healing back. As with most coping mechanisms in life, it's how you use it that makes the difference,” she told ‘Patient.’
In other words, if you use dark humor (or anything else, for that matter) for escapism and comfort and to uplift your spirits, it starts becoming an issue if you do it constantly while avoiding your problems. The goal is not to overdo it.
If you find yourself relying on escapism while pushing people away and refusing to accept what is happening in your life, you need to reevaluate things.
Many people are fans of dark humor, but others find it incredibly offensive. However, this style of humor can be very helpful as a coping mechanism when you are under stress or in times of grief.
“The first need we are trying to meet with dark humor is our desire to experience and express the full spectrum of emotion. At times when we are engaging in dark humor, it's often because we are having an overwhelming experience of the more 'negative' or challenging emotions, such as grief, sadness, and anxiety,” Brummell explained.
