How Humor Can Improve Your Life

The late actress Catherine O'Hara had advised, "There is nothing sexier than laughing together." Her recommendation is risk-free and financially free, yet worth hundreds of dollars. Our country is increasingly learning the value of adding more humor to our lives. Psychologists are touting the benefits of the practice and appreciation of humor to a person's self-esteem, internal confidence, and the ease of making new friends. Physicians have proven that laughter can reduce a person's blood pressure, decrease the toxic hormones in your bloodstreams, and can even lower muscle tensions for up to 45 minutes. Morticians and public health statisticians have noted the increasing longevity of those who are humor aficionados.

Garden & Gun magazine, in their February-March 2026 issue, published their first-ever humor issue, featuring popular comedian Nate Bargatze on the cover. It is about time, instead of focusing so much on ultimate Southern sandwiches, tropical dream homes, and the bourbon boom, not to mention gardens and guns themselves. It is all a clear sign that everyone is increasing their increasing attention to adding more humor and fun in their lives.

It is no secret that internet dating sites list the sense of humor as one of the top characteristics that we look for in meeting a new person to date and maybe mate. Fortunately, this quality also appears near the top of applicants' self-descriptions. Psychological research has shown that those in long-term relationships and marriages cite humor as a major reason for their strong commitments to each other over the years. (Jach, Kubicius, and Jonason, 2022). Thus, we learn that there is more to successful relationships than sex, at least if you can laugh with each other about anything and everything.

Humor at Work

Another life area where humor is increasingly desired and approved is the business world. Research has shown that it is an outdated axiom that social and fun interactions in the office ultimately lower profitability for that company. In fact, the opposite is true. Also, in those offices where humor is encouraged among employees, the absenteeism rate drops dramatically. In addition, the appropriate use of humor by job applicants is very helpful to their successful hiring. The same is true for their eventual promotions later for their frequent quality work outputs (Aaker and Bagdonas, 2021).

How to Increase Your Kids' Sense of Humor

First, it is critical to understand that your ability to enjoy, understand, and produce humor is not innate. It is all learned both formally and informally. Parents and other sources can model humor-making, either intentionally or not. They can encourage joking with each other and with their children. They can share TV-watching of cartoons and comedy programs for kids. It is important to encourage, that is, reward children for their efforts to say or do something funny, regardless of how many times you have heard that knock-knock joke. And just as important, it is crucial never to punish or discourage children in their early efforts to say or do something they intend to be funny. Laugh with them, praise and enjoy their efforts. Share in their fun. (Franzini, 2002).

Best Ways for Adults to Increase Humor Skills

For adults, seek out watching comedy shows on TV or the recorded stand-up performances of the major professional comedians. Go to live comedy shows, if available locally. You may not like all of the ones that you attend. Some may not fit your taste for any number of reasons. That is fine. Learn which comedians and their general topics and comic attitudes you do enjoy. For the serious advocates of improving their humor skills, now there are workshops, comedy camps, and local improv clubs to join and obtain live practice, along with reading "how-to" books on humor.

In fact, I can highly recommend one particular book: How Humor Helps: Enhancing Your Relationships, Health, and Happiness, which has just been released in paperback. I have recently reread that book, and I found it consistently very valuable and enjoyable. In fact, I agreed 100 percent with the author L. R. Franzini's comments. Hence, you can trust that my strong endorsement is totally objective.