ADDING HUMOUR
TO YOUR LIFE
Participant Handout
You will understand your own sense of
humour, the physical and psychological
benefits of humour, TIPS for
communicating humour, and the use of
humour in the workplace!
Strengthening the health
of people and organizations
Finding Your Sense of Humour
1. What are your favorite TV sitcoms? What is it about the shows that you enjoyed?
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2. What are your favorite cartoons, found in newspapers and magazines?
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3. What are your favorite comedy movies? What do you enjoy about them?
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4. Who are your favorite stand-up comedians? What do you enjoy about them?
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5. Looking back at the notes you’ve recorded above, what patterns do you see in the things
that really make you laugh? Is it a play on words? Absurdities? Mannerisms?
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Physical Benefits of Laughter
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Helps to combat stress- it reduces stress hormone levels and also releases endorphins, which
may reduce pain and create a sense of euphoria
Increases relaxation- breathing becomes deeper, sending oxygen-enriched blood and nutrients
throughout the body
Internal workout! A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, respiratory, facial muscles,
contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward.
It has been said that 10 minutes laughing is the same as 100 rows on a rowing machine!
Improves brain function. It stimulates the emotional and logical sides of the brain, and eases
muscular and psychological tension. This helps you stay alert, and enhances your ability to learn
and retain information.
Good for your Body:
Enhances Immune System: It does this by increasing infection-fighting antibodies and lowering
stress hormones.
Lowers Blood Pressure: When people have a good laugh, initially the blood pressure increases,
but then it decreases to levels below normal.
Protects the Heart: One study found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to
laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.
Digestive System: Think about how your stomach and intestines react when you are stressed,
nervous or angry. They become restrictive but with laughter this area begins to calm & relax.
Psychological Benefits of Laughter
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Mental health benefits: humor can teach perspective by helping patients to see reality rather
than the distortion that supports their distress. Humor shifts the ways in which we think, and
distress is greatly associated with the way we think. It is not situations that generate our stress, it
is the meaning we place on the situations. Humor adjusts the meaning of an event so that it is
not so overwhelming. It gives us a surge of energy, and a more positive outlook.
Creates distraction: Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress and negative
emotions.
http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/laughter.htm
Adding Humour to Your Life – Participant Handout
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Laughing at ourselves reduces embarrassment. We change the meaning of the event so that
we don’t perceive people laughing AT us, but rather we invite them to laugh WITH us. You
visualize a humorous situation instead. It allows you to accept yourself and have greater selfrespect and self-esteem.
Social Benefits: We are attracted to people who make us feel good. When you are laughing
and happy, you tend to engage people more: greater eye contact, speak more, touch, etc. Also,
humor binds us together. One of the things that zap our energy is the time, focus and effort we
put into coping with life's problems including each other's limitations. When we laugh together, it
can bind us closer instead of pulling us apart.
Increases creativity: Humour is about making connections, seeing things that weren’t there, and
thinking outside of the box. It stimulates your mind and energizes you. You are mentally more
productive when you are in this state.
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TIPS on Sharing Humour
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Get to know them first. Everyone has a sense of humour… you just may not know what they
find funny and what they find offensive. Start small and test the waters. Use jokes that are
inclusive, self-deprecating, positive and observational.
Trust your gut feeling. No one is a mind reader, but we might get a sense that something is not
right. If you feel you might have offended, ask how they feel, and be quick to apologize.
Pay attention to the listener’s reaction. If someone isn’t laughing at your joke, don’t ignore that
information; make a point of paying attention to how your humour is received.
Use self-deprecation in moderation. We’ve mentioned self-deprecation as a safe and positive
form of humour. In general this can be true, but watch that you aren’t making a habit of putting
yourself down and reducing your self-image and self-esteem.
Use clean, observational & inclusive humour. Err on the side of caution! Assume that the
person you are talking to has a very clean, safe style of humour. Make very gentle jokes about
the situation you are in. Point out humorous observations.
Avoid ‘playful’ insults or put-downs. What might seem innocent to you could be very hurtful to
another person. You may think you are just having fun, and you could be deeply offending the
other person. You don’t know how sensitive their self-esteem is.
Don’t make excuses. While you might think that including the disclaimer “I hope this doesn’t
offend anyone” lets you off the hook, you’re wrong! If you suspect your joke MIGHT offend,
DON’T share it!
Adding Humour To Your Day!
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Watch your favourite funny movies & TV shows: This is a great way to get your laughs in for
the day and this way you control what type of humour you watch.
Watch Bloopers: Watching bloopers is another excellent to get your laughs in. Watch for them at
the end of movies, or your favourite tv shows.
Try going to a Comedy club: This may be a great outgoing but be aware of the rating that the
show is given as it may be offence to some.
Laugh with friends: What could be a better way to get some giggles?
Save your funny e-mails: By saving those funny e-mails you can go back and look at them
anytime you are feeling down and this way you already know you’re going to enjoy them!
Find humour in your life: Don’t stress over the small things!
‘Fake it until you make it’: Smile & laugh as much as you can, real or fake your body can’t tell
the difference.
Adding Humour to Your Life – Participant Handout
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101 Funny Movies (in no particular order)
http://www.spout.com/genres/7/ViewAllFilm.aspx
1. Wedding Crashers (2007)
2. 40 Year Old Virgin (2007)
3. 13 Going on 30 (2004)
4. American Pie (1999)
5. Airplane (1980)
6. P.S I Love You (2007)
7. Little Miss Sunshine (2007)
8. Knocked Up (2007)
9. Hairspray (2007)
10. Liar Liar (1997)
11. First Sunday (2007)
12. Shrek (2001)
13. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
14. Bringing Down the House (2003)
15. Cheaper By The Dozen (2003)
16. Anchorman (2004)
17. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
18. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
19. Elf (2003)
20. Planes, trains & automobiles (1987)
21. Home Alone (1990)
22. The Graduate (1967)
23. Meet the Parents (2000)
24. Pretty Woman (1990)
25. Billy Madison (1995)
26. Happy Gilmour (1996)
27. Sixteen Candles (1984)
28. Breakfast Club (1985)
29. Men in Black (1997)
30. Caddyshack (1980)
31. Austin Powers (1997)
32. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
33. Blazing Saddles (1974)
34. The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
35. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
36. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
37. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
38. Tommy Boy (1995)
39. Finding Nemo (2003)
40. Big Daddy (1999)
41. Bad Santa (2003)
42. The Jerk (1979)
43. Rat Race (2001)
44. Black Sheep (2001)
45. The Wedding Planner (2001)
46. Uncle Buck (1989)
47. Kindergarten Cop (1990)
48. Grumpy Old Men (1993)
49. Look Who’s Talking (1989)
50. Orange County (2002)
Adding Humour to Your Life – Participant Handout
51. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
52. Overboard (1987)
53. What Women Want (2000)
54. Sister Act (1992)
55. The Odd Couple (1968)
56. Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991)
57. The Nutty Professor (1996)
58. Teen Wolf (1985)
59. The Little Rascals (1994)
60. So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
61. Grease (1978)
62. Waking Ned Devine (1998)
63. Patch Adams (1998)
64. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
65. Beethoven (1992)
66. The Great Outdoors (1988)
67. Nine Months (1995)
68. Three Men & a Baby (1987)
69. Heartbreakers (2001)
70. Meet the Robinson’s (2007)
71. Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)
72. Guess Who (2005)
73. The Mighty Ducks (1992)
74. The Benchwarmers (2006)
75. City Slickers (1991)
76. Taxi (2004)
77. White Men Can’t Jump (1992)
78. Police Academy (1994)
79. As Good as it Gets (1997)
80. Turner & Hooch (1989)
81. Camp Nowhere (1994)
82. Heavyweights (1995)
83. Hocus Pocus (1993)
84. Pirates of the Carribean (2003)
85. League of their Own (1992)
86. The First Wives Club (1996)
87. The Hot Chick (2002)
88. Corky Romano (2001)
89. That Darn Cat (1965)
90. Sorority Boys (2002)
91. Monster-In-Law (2005)
92. Ball of Fire (1941)
93. Fargo (1996)
94. Auntie Mame (1958)
95. Silver Streak (1976)
96. 27 Dresses (2008)
97. Juno (2008)
98. The Court Jester (1956)
99. Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
100. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
101. Bon Cop, Bad Cop (2006)
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Different Types of Verbal & Written Humour
Anecdotes: any interesting event, either having to do with a celebrity or something smaller, that
helps the humorist make a point. Anecdotes are great for the speaker and writer.
Aside: a thought added as if something the speaker was saying reminded him of it.
Banter: good-natured teasing back and forth; exchange of witty remarks.
Blunder: wit based on a person who makes a mistake, which makes them appear foolish.
Caricature: exaggeration of a person’s mental, physical, or personality traits, in wisecrack form.
Conundrum: a word puzzle that can’t be solved because the answer is a pun. Ex: why do cows
wear bells? Their horns don’t work.
Exaggerism: an exaggerated witticism that overstates the features, defects, or the strangeness
of someone or something.
Freudian Slip: a funny statement which seems to just pop out, but which actually comes from
the person’s subconscious thoughts.
Hyperbole: extreme exaggeration.
Irony: a leading part of humor. Irony is using words to express something completely
different from the literal meaning. Usually, someone says the opposite of what they mean and
the listener believes the opposite of what they said.
Joke: short story ending with a funny climactic twist.
Parody: humorous version of any well-known writing. Ex: Weird Al Yankovic’s "Pretty Fly for a
Rabbi".
Practical Joke: a joke put into action. You hear an oral joke, sees a printed joke, and feel the
practical joke. The trick is played on another person and the humor comes from what happens.
Recovery: a combination of blunder and wit, where a person makes an error, and then saves
himself with a fast correction.
Repartee: includes clever replies and retorts. The most common form is the insult.
Satire: wit that is critical humor. Satire is sarcasm that makes fun of something.
Situational Humor: this is comedy that comes from your own life. No one in your audience will
have heard it and it can get a group used to you. This type of humor is based on a humorous
situation that you have experienced.
Understatement: making something that is regular or large seem extremely smaller or less.
Intentionally down-sizing a large object.
Wisecrack: any clever remark about a particular person or thing. Wisecracks are quick
wordplays about a person.
Wit: humor, irony, sarcasm, satire, repartee. Wit is funny because of the sudden sharpness and
quick perception. Wit can bite. Verbal wit is a type of humor known as Wordplay.
L. Audrieth, Anthony "The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking" 1998.
A Few Resources for further Information:
http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/laughter.htm
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/you-and-improved/health-benefits-of-laughing
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/episode4/laughter/index.html
http://www.holisticonline.com/Humor_Therapy/humor_therapy_benefits.htm
Adding Humour to Your Life – Participant Handout
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