We love to laugh! Both of our families joke around a lot. But humor done wrong can do a lot of damage. We want to make sure our teens understand why humor is helpful, but also how to use it in the right way. 

• Humor can teach important life skills
  • Helps us see things from a different perspective
  • Helps us grasp unconventional ideas
  • Helps us enjoy the playful side of life
  • Helps us not take ourselves too seriously
  • Helps us get through hard times
• Benefits of laughing
  • Stimulates muscles
  • Releases endorphins
  • Soothes tension
  • Improves mood
  • Enhances memory
  • Relieves Pain
  • Improves immune system
  • Helps us bond
• How to find more humor in life
  • Don't take yourself so seriously
  • Spend time with people that make you laugh
  • Hang up things and text things that make you laugh
  • Cultivate family quotes
• Where to draw the line
  • Boundaries when it comes to jokes
  • Avoid inside jokes in front of others
  • Take into consideration context (who the target of the joke is, who is your audience, what is the occasion)
  • Apologize if you offend AND speak up if a joke offends you

Resources:

• Brandon M. Savage, Heidi L. Lujan, Raghavendar R. Thipparthi, and Stephen E. DiCarlo Humor, laughter, learning, and health! A brief review, https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/advan.00030.2017

• Kids Health, Encouraging Your Child’s Sense of Humor, https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/child-humor.html

• Donna Wolter, The Benefits of Laughter, https://youthfirstinc.org/the-benefits-of-laughter/ 

• Skills You Need, Developing Humour, https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/developing-humour.html 

• Stress Relief from Laughter, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456

• Maia Szalavitz, It’s No Joke: Why Laughter Kills Physical Pain, https://healthland.time.com/2011/09/14/its-no-joke-why-laughter-kills-physical-pain/

• Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter, https://www.verywellmind.com/health-benefits-of-humor-and-laughter-5101137

• How Laughter Affects Our Health, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB_cSy0IIOg

• @thejohnsonfiles

• The Bad Broad Cast Podcast, Episode 32, The V Word

• Marjorie Hinckley, https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/event/marjorie-pay-hinckley?lang=eng

• Joseph B. Wirthlin, Come Way May and Love It, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng