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Laughter at the wrong time can be embarrassing, but it's actually a natural reaction in some people when they are faced with a highly stressful situation. This may be because laughter helps people feel better about what's going on, even if it's a bad situation. This can also be a response to help you relieve stress and reduce stress. If misplaced laughter has a negative impact on your life, start by curbing your laughter. If this doesn't work, you may need to address the causes of your laughter. When you can't help laughing, find a way to cope with it.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Control the urge to laugh
Distract yourself from your laugh. It may take a while to learn how to control your laughter, but distraction is an easy way to stop it. Try one of the following ways to direct your thoughts away from the elements that keep you from laughing:Quick distraction
Self-pinching. The slight pain will distract you.
Count down from 100. Turning your focus on something as tasteless as numbers is one way to help calm your emotions.
Make a list in your head. List of foods, things to do, vacation places, favorite movies - choose a simple topic and start listing. This will give you more control.
Look for a color in the room. Pick any color and find out how many spots you can spot with that color. This small goal will shift your focus and emotions in another direction.
Sing a song. The song can be as simple as the ABC's! Rhythm and lyrics are a great way to take your mind off your emotions and laughter.
Identify the factors that make you laugh at the wrong time. Do you laugh out of anxiety, or laugh to cope with your painful feelings? Maybe you laugh because you have enough energy and can't find words to describe what you want to say. Whatever the cause, write down when your laughter is causing trouble.
- Consider the time, place, situation, and people that might make you laugh. These are called triggers. Once you've identified those factors, you can begin to address your habit of laughing.
Choose alternative behaviors for laughter. What can you do instead of laughing, worrying? Examples: nod, lick your lips, exhale slowly, or press a pen. Choosing a substitute for laughing will depend on the situation in which you laugh.- For example, you might laugh from anxiety during company meetings. In this case, press the pen instead of smiling.
- If you tend to laugh during critical moments, take a deep breath and exhale at times when you normally laugh.
Make a plan to replace your laughter. Since you already know what makes you laugh and what needs to be done instead, tell yourself that you will stick to it while performing the new behavior. You will be more successful when you review your plan in mind.
- Tell yourself, "Next time I feel awkward in a meeting, I will press the pen," or "When I go to the funeral, I will nod when everyone is condoling."
Learn how deal with social anxiety, if you have this disease. Social anxiety is a common cause of nervous laughter, so you can suppress inappropriate laughter as you learn to cope with it. Coping with and accepting your worries can help you feel more confident in social situations and increase your ability to control laughter from anxiety.
Coping with social anxiety
Make a list of scary situations. Think about what worries you and what you can do to cope. Next, have the courage to experiment. Take small steps with the help of someone you trust.
Record successful social interactions. Focus on the good things you've been through, how you overcame your fear, and how you felt great afterward.
Recognize the negative thoughts that are holding you back. You may often try to predict the future, fear thinking about the worst, and worry about others judging you. Realize when you cannot control something, like the thoughts of others, and live peacefully with it.
Try to think positively. Every time negative thoughts come to mind, stop yourself. Take a deep breath and force yourself to think of something more encouraging like "I won't succeed if I don't try."
See a therapist. If you need help dealing with social anxiety, make an appointment with a therapist to talk about your problems and learn coping strategies.
Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation can help you live in the moment and be aware of your surroundings, which will help you curb the laughter caused by distracting and wandering thoughts.
Basic mindfulness exercises
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Close your eyes and repeat a spell. Think of a word or self-centered statement, such as "calm down" or "breathe." Maintain this for 5 minutes each day, allowing thoughts to come and go without focusing on them or judging them. Just focus on breathing and return to the mantra.
Body check. Notice subtle bodily sensations, such as itching or throbbing. Let those feelings pass without judgment and without reacting. Slowly go through each part of your body from your toes to the top of your head.
Recognize your feelings. Allow yourself to feel without judgment. When you notice an emotion, name it, such as "sad" or "upset." Relax, accept its appearance, and let it go.
Method 2 of 3: Handling inappropriate laughter
Move away when you start to laugh, if you can. When laughter comes out before you can stop it, ask permission to leave. This will give you time to calm down and take a few deep breaths before getting back to everyone. Learn to recognize the feeling that comes before you laugh, and try to identify what makes you laugh so you can withdraw in time.
- Go to the toilet if you are at a funeral or at the office.
- Get out or get in your car if you are at the scene of an accident.
- Leave the room if someone says something inappropriate.
Cover your laughter with a cough, if you can't leave in time. Cover your mouth with your hands and make a cough-like sound. If the laughter continues, use the coughing excuse to go to the restroom, where you can calm down.
- This works when you start to laugh unintentionally without stopping it.
- You can also pretend to blow your nose.
Sorry for laughing, if laughter still comes out. Tell the other person that you often deal with stress by laughing, and then apologize if your reaction hurt them. Your confession can help them understand why you did this, and will also help you lessen your laughter as your anxiety has been lessened.
- Say “I'm so sorry for laughing at your father's funeral. I want you to know that I'm not happy, I'm just smiling because I'm sad. I hope this doesn't hurt you. ”
Method 3 of 3: Incorrect timing of amusing elements
Talk to a therapist to tackle your problems more deeply. You may not be able to stop laughing on your own in inappropriate times, and that's okay too! A therapist can help you pinpoint the cause and come up with more effective remedies.
- You can find a therapist online.
Ask if you can take a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). People may experience uncontrolled laughter due to illnesses such as emotional disturbances, bipolar disorder, dementia, stroke or other neurological problems. SSRIs can help some people reduce their laughs.
- Your doctor will determine if the medication is right for you. Not all patients respond well to SSRIs, and there is a risk of interactions with other drugs.
Get cognitive-behavioral therapy if you have Tourette's syndrome or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Both of these diseases can make you laugh at inappropriate times. Tourette syndrome causes laughter like jerky movements, while obsessive-compulsive disorder can make you laugh as a habit. Luckily, you can learn how to fix these behaviors, although it will be difficult.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you learn to recognize when a laugh may come and how to manage it.
Advice
- Don't feel guilty because you want to laugh. It is perfectly okay to feel the urge to laugh in serious or sad situations, as it helps to relieve stress.
- Try pulling the corners of your mouth down into wrinkles. This action can signal your brain that you are sad.
- Stare at something in the room and focus on your breathing. Don't look at anyone who is smiling or something that makes you laugh in the first place, because then you will laugh again.
- Try to stare at a point in the room for a long time and don't take your eyes off that position.
- Take a long, deep breath through your nose, trying not to open your mouth.
Warning
- If you can't stop laughing (or crying) uncontrollably at inappropriate times, it's probably caused by an traumatic neurological disorder or a pathology in the brain. In this case, you should see a doctor.
- Do not bite your lips, tongue, or inside your cheeks, to avoid injury.
