Advice for Unhappy Spouses - Strengthen Your Marriage With Laughter
Why Laughter Matters
A local radio station recently asked: “What is it that children do 400 times a day that adults do only 15 times a day?” The answer was laughter.
As adults, the responsibilities and concerns we carry are far greater than those of children. But does our seriousness actually help us shoulder these burdens better? If laughter is the best medicine, perhaps we should work harder to foster a sense of humor in ourselves.
Finding Humor in Strained Relationships
One of the greatest burdens of adulthood is relationship stress. When your spouse—meant to be a source of love and support—becomes a source of conflict, it’s painful.
So how can you maintain a sense of humor when your marriage feels strained? Laughter may not solve every issue, but it can strengthen the bond of friendship and help give you the energy to address deeper challenges together. Sometimes when you don’t know whether to laugh or cry, choosing laughter can bring relief and connection.
The Benefits of Laughter in Marriage
Research shows that laughter reduces stress hormones and releases feel-good chemicals in the brain. But what does that mean for relationships?
Laughter and humor relieve tension, lift spirits, and bring couples closer together.
Laughter creates a greater sense of connection between partners.
Gentle humor helps tackle sensitive subjects, resolve disagreements, and reframe problems.
A sense of humor fuels resilience, helping you weather disappointment and bounce back from adversity.
Humor puts things into perspective, easing defensiveness and encouraging openness.
Humor helps you be more spontaneous, creative, and authentic—all qualities that strengthen a marriage.
Rediscovering Your Sense of Humor
If laughter benefits your marriage, what do you do if your sense of humor feels lost? Ask an expert. Children laugh 400 times a day. Surely, we can learn something from them about finding joy and levity again.
Even Pope Benedict reflected on the value of humor:
“I’m not a man who constantly thinks up jokes. But I think it’s very important to be able to see the funny side of life and its joyful dimension and not to take everything too tragically. A writer once said that angels can fly because they don’t take themselves too seriously. Maybe we could also fly a bit if we didn’t think we were so important.”
Conclusion
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all learn to “fly” in our relationships? By bringing laughter and levity back into your marriage, you can ease tension, deepen connection, and create the resilience needed to work through challenges—together.
Ready to Strengthen Your Marriage?
If you and your partner are feeling distant or stuck in patterns of blame, couples counselling can help you reconnect and rebuild. Visit our Couples Counselling page to learn how we can support you in creating a stronger, happier relationship.