At least once in our college careers, we've all experienced a time when we were irritated by the faint sounds of laughter coming from a nearby room. I've been there myself, on both ends of the spectrum (more often laughing than irritated, to be fair). However, I've come to realize that while hearing loud noises when we're attempting to sleep or study can be frustrating, laughter is a good thing to be hearing. It no longer irritates me when I'm going to bed and I overhear my neighbors laughing; I tend to think, "I'm glad someone nearby is having a good time." Sometimes, I can't help but laugh myself after hearing others laugh. What can I say? It's incredibly contagious.
This irritation seems to occur in many settings. For example, there are many classrooms I've been in throughout the years where students have gotten in trouble or have even been asked to leave because they couldn't stop giggling at something that usually pertained to a previous discussion point in class that was intentionally humorous and not mean-natured at all. It's as if laughter is something that's frowned upon in an educational context. We're not allowed to "lighten up," even though having a strong sense of humor can help us laugh at the little things in life, rather than get upset about them.
While humor can definitely be a double-edged sword and used to mock, belittle, or hurt others, it's important that we not lose our temper when others are engaged in laughing about something that is not mean-spirited or offensive in any way. Laughing is a healthy, safe way to relieve stress and it should be treated as such. In a world where we are constantly bombarded by negative thoughts and messages in our everyday lives, it's absolutely crucial to our overall well-being that we prioritize getting in a few doses of laughter now and then.
Whether it's in the form of our favorite comedy show on television, a short YouTube clip, or a story that our friend is telling us, humor can help us temporarily take our minds off of whatever we're currently stressing out about. It can be quite a wonderful, but safe, escape from reality. Whenever I'm laughing incredibly hard at something to the point that my eyes water and I roll around on the floor, I completely forget about all of the things that are troubling me. The feeling I get from laughing is so astonishing that it truly makes any day brighter. Learn to love laughter and join in on the fun. I promise it will feel great.
