A little laugh goes a long way …

To read the full article from Psychology Today, CLICK HERE

Humour in relationships is important. Life cannot be serious all the time, and although we know that sometimes it has to be that way, no one can live like that constantly. You have to make room for a little lightheartedness if you want to have a balanced love life. Being able to laugh is healthy for everyone.

Humour—if used correctly—can help defuse uncomfortable situations. A sense of humour in a relationship has been recognised as so important that there’s an annual conference on how to use humour in therapy. Yes, it can make a difference in your relationship.

Cultivating humour in your relationship requires that you both are respectful in your banter. This is not stand-up comedy or razor-sharp repartee. It is two people playing with words and with each other. Keep it harmless, blameless, and don’t ever use humour as a weapon. Once you have those ground rules clear, it will make it easier and safer to have more fun with each other.

Humour in a relationship is not just about saying funny things; it’s also about doing things together with a sense of humour.

Even if you don’t think you are especially funny, you can approach your life and love with a fine sense of humour. It’s not about making jokes that rival the likes of Michael McIntyre. It’s about seeing the lighter side of living and reveling in it. Life can be ironic, and that can be fun and funny. It’s worth the effort to find the humour in life, and appreciate your mate for his or hers.

Everyone has his or her own style, and if your loved one’s humour is not to your liking, you need to have a conversation about it and set appropriate boundaries. Jokes or actions have to be life enhancing, and they should never make things worse. It is always wise to think before you speak, and if you think your mate might take what you are about to say in the wrong way, don’t say it.

One of the signs of a healthy relationship is when you are facing a difficult situation, and you both can see some humour in it. That means that no matter what you are facing, you will get through it together and be able to smile (at times) through the process.

We cannot travel through life without hitting a few speed bumps. When you can find the humour in it, things will go much easier for both of you. Sometimes that may take a little effort, and perhaps you will find something amusing and your partner will not, or the other way around, and that’s okay. A sense of humour may be the best friend (next to your mate) that you can have when the world isn’t working the way you would like it to.