Humor is a tendency of the brain to provoke laughter and enjoy the feeling of amusement. The response of an individual to humor depends on their age, maturity, intelligence level, Education, and personal interest of the individual.
For example, young children would find a cartoon serial funny, whereas adults would prefer stand-up comedy over anything else. Humor has a tremendous positive psychological effect on the human brain.
Entertainment is a form of activity that generates a feeling of excitement and fun in an individual. Entertainment can be anything from literature and dramas to music, outings, and partying. It entirely depends on individual choice and preference. For example, some people like to watch a cricket match on television and find it entertaining; on the other hand, some people find not just watching but playing and doing the physical activity more entertaining.
As discussed earlier, an individual can keep themself by different means of entertainment depending on his taste and interests. Some of the entertainment activities have been mentioned below.
There are different types of entertainment, including passive recreation and active entertainment. Passive entertainment involves activities that require little or no effort from the audience, such as watching a movie or TV show. Vibrant entertainment, on the other hand, involves activities that require participation or engagement from the audience, such as playing a game or attending a concert.
There are several types of entertainment that people enjoy, including:
Reading has been proven to be one of the best activities to lower stress, normalize heartbeats and regularize blood pressure. So it is indirectly effective for someone facing depression or Anxiety issues. Fictional or non-fictional, poem or newspaper, reading is relaxing and a stress-buster.
Similar to other human phenomena, reading activates brain cells. When reading, we go through each word, and the brain triggers many simultaneous processes, from vocalization and visualization to auditory detection and word analysis. While reading, the connection between the left temporal cortex of the brain responsible for language reception is intensified, thus boosting brain activity.
This intensified activity continued for many days following the reading. Continuous reading habit increases the reader's attention span and working memory capacity.
Watching movies, television dramas, web series, or cartoon shows, the brain breaks as the motor area is unused. Movies and series come in different genres like comedy, romantic, horror, suspense thriller, etc. Every genre has almost the same effect on the human brain, but the selection purely depends on an individual's interest.
While watching a movie or a web series, a person is expected to laugh, cry or sob and express his emotions freely, which he usually hesitates to do on a typical day. This makes the individual open up and overcome emotional numbness, a commonly observed trait in a person with depression.
Contrary to the belief that horror movies would increase your stress level, various studies have proved them to be a great relieving activity. This genre is also known to activate the brain's motor area.
Self-healing is considered one of the best ways to beat Anxiety, and what would be better than going on a vacation to some peaceful and serene environment for weekends at least once a month? Any person tends to get caught up in today's corporate world with the pressure of meeting targets and client deadlines. This takes a toll on the body physically and mentally and causes Anxiety and depression in the team member.
An outing with friends or colleagues is a welcome move any day to get out of this ever-demanding bubble. Indulging yourself in long drives, trekking, swimming, and playing various water sports lets your brain relax and calm down. Individuals can explore different places and do multiple activities that positively impact mental health.
Exposure to new cultures, meeting new people, and learning new languages has increased an individual's creativity and problem-solving capabilities. The effects of a vacation can be seen for a long duration, even after returning to daily life.
Some studies have proved the positive effects of a vacation can be observed typically for at least 4-5 weeks. While deciding on a vacation spot, choose according to your choices and preferences. If you visit places that excite you, you are more enthusiastic, and thus your cortisol levels will decrease. Your travel plans can be big or small, expensive or exotic, but they should impact you positively and satisfactorily.
Everyone likes to hang out with friends at a famous club or hotel. It is a perfect occasion to share your thoughts and feelings and discuss personal issues. But a person with depression or Anxiety issues usually avoids such social gatherings. So the key here is overcoming that inner voice of spending time alone and socializing with others.
You can catch up with your friends at a restaurant, club, museum, or any other place of personal interest. An individual can also share his unique ideas and thoughts, which helps bring out creativity and makes him forget harmful and unpleasant thoughts.
The only thing to take care of during socializing is the misuse of drugs. People mostly get influenced by their friends and get caught up in the trap of drugs. This is a bad habit that can lead you to addiction.
Hobbies are something that has been taught in a human from childhood subconsciously. A hobby practiced by an individual depends on his interest in the atmosphere and environment he has been brought up in. An individual's interests can be academic, physical activity, or creative, and his choice of hobbies depends on it.
Listening to music, playing indoor and outdoor games, cooking, and writing are some of the best hobbies that make a person think and are good brain exercises.
Investing your time in an individual's hobby can improve his well-being and mental health. People who take time for their hobbies are less likely to suffer from depression, mood swings, and stress.
Humor is always needed when it comes to the part of the entertainment. Spirit is not just by watching something but also through voice and actions. You can know what could be humorous in life.
Humor is a natural human tendency to find amusement and joy in the ordinary and the unexpected. It is a diverse concept that varies across cultures, individuals, and situations. There are several types of humor, including:
Watching cartoons has proven to be a great stress-buster. Comics are not just about the pleasant, bright colors and appealing animation that help individuals deal with unpleasant and grim feelings. Cartoons with uplifting visions of yours can easily convey a message of hope and comfort.
Watching such shows trains the brain to fight and deal with pessimistic notions like conflict, frustration, and loneliness. So if an individual faces depression or Anxiety, they should make it a point to watch such shows. Even repeatedly watching the same cartoon shows that were previously watched has proven effective.
Stand-up comedy is a live-session comedy where performers joke about various subjects. It can be classified into multiple types depending on the topic chosen. Satire, roasting, impromptu and dark humor are some of the most common types of stand-up comedy.
An individual stressed out due to work-related or personal issues should attend such sessions. Such sessions can vary from about an hour to two hours.
In laughter therapy sessions, a group of people stands in a circle, randomly placed from each other, with the host standing in the middle and laughing while making eye contact. This session usually lasts for around 20-30 minutes, with each bout of about 45 seconds.
Attending such sessions and laughing according to a predefined exercise pattern relaxes you and prepares you for all the hassles later in the day.
There are different laughing clubs that you can join. Some may be free of charge, and some charge a nominal fee for youtube as a member of it. But the relief it gives from Anxiety and stress is worth the money and time an individual invests in it.
Depression, rather than the disease, can be classified as a state of mind in which negative thoughts overshadow others. To suppress these thoughts, a person must generate positive and pleasant thoughts. Here is where humor and entertainment come into play. These two have a positive effect on the brain.
Humor should be the best form of treatment in treating various diseases. You can follow the tips in your life for a humor-filled aura.
Various Clinical studies have shown that humor reduces stress. Cortisol is one of the main hormones that trigger stress hormone through your whole body when you're stressed out or depressed. Reducing the cortisol level is very important because a higher cortisol level can affect your immune system.
You cannot focus on negativity when you engage with something funny. Homur interludes stress and can give you a break from worrying. Humor can also provide a healthy perspective. After laughing, you may find out the solution to the problem.
Possibly you recognize that you've been going through other difficult times and are reassured. With a new point of view, you might consider threats such as challenges and problems as opportunities.
The most effective way to get out of it is by socializing and indulging in activities you are interested in to cope with depression and Anxiety. So take time out from your daily schedule for the actions of entertainment and humor.
These would slowly but steadily bring a change and strengthen your mental well-being at various times. Entertainment and humor interventions reduce the sign and symptoms of Anxiety and depression, and it also helps to improve the quality of sleep compared to standard treatment.
