Can laughter improve your work?

When we think of humour, we generally think about entertainment – watching a stand-up comedian or a funny film. But psychologists believe humour can also help boost physical and mental health and promote social bonding.

Rod Martin, of the University of Western Ontario, found individuals with a good sense of humour had higher levels of self-esteem and self-worth, were more positive in the face of challenging life events and had more self-protective ways of coping with stress.

This finding is, however, only correlational. Humour might foster the positive qualities Martin observed; equally, high levels of self-esteem and a large array of coping strategies may be what allows an individual to develop a good sense of humour. Shelley Crawford and Nerina Caltablano, of James Cook University in Australia, randomly assigned 55 adults to one of three eight-week courses: a humour group, a social group and a nonintervention control group.

At the end of the course and again three months later, those in the humour group scored significantly higher on levels of emotional wellbeing, while at the same time their perceived stress and anxiety levels decreased. Attila Szabo, of Nottingham Trent University, compared the effects of taking aerobic exercise, watching stand-up comedy and watching a documentary film, and found that humour created positive psychological changes equal to – and, for some, even superior to – aerobic exercise.

Humour appears to benefit physical health, and those fighting illness. There’s evidence humour may bolster an individual’s immune response and decrease sensitivity to pain. However, any conclusions are only tentative, according to Martin, who conducted a literature review on the subject, because many correlations that have been reported are relatively weak.

Wellbeing in the workplace can also be increased by humour. Both Eric Romero and Kevin Cruthirds, of the University of Texas, and Jessica Mesmer-magnus, of the University of North Carolina, found encouraging moments of levity was generally associated with increased work performance and decreased reports of stress. However, both groups of researchers raise a caution: any positive result depends on the jokes in question.

That the type of humour is key to its benefits clarifies why findings in this area are often weak or unclear. As Nicholas Kuiper, of the University of Western Ontario points out, too few researchers begin by defining clearly what humour is. He believes there are two types: adaptive and maladaptive.

Adaptive encourages us to feel closer to others and better about ourselves, whereas maladaptive is self-defeating, rude and aggressive.

The conclusion? Humour can definitely help us thrive – but only if it’s adaptive, self-enhancing and affiliative. Kindness is key.

Linda Blair is a clinical psychologist and author of Siblings: How to Handle Rivalry and Create Lifelong Loving Bonds. To order for £10.99, call 0844 871 1514 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk