Laughing at the wrong time is embarrassing. However, this action is normal for some people when they are facing a very stressful situation. Maybe because laughter can improve your mood towards events that are happening, including bad situations. Laughter is also a reaction that helps you release stress and tension. When laughing at the wrong time starts to take a toll on your life, start controlling the urge to laugh. If that doesn't work, you may need to address the cause of the laughter. If you're still laughing, you have to work on it.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Controlling the Impulse to Laugh
Step 1. Divert your thoughts to let the urge to laugh pass
It does take time to learn how to control your tendency to laugh. In the meantime, though, distraction is an easy way to get rid of the urge. Try the following ways to keep your mind off the things that make you laugh:
Quick Switch
Pinch Yourself.
The pain caused will make you forget the urge to laugh.
Count down from 100.
Turn your attention to superficial things, like numbers, to calm your emotions.
Make a list in your mind.
Grocery items, things to do, vacation destinations, favorite movies-just pick a simple topic and quickly complete the list. This rote list will help you be more in control.
Look for a specific color around the room.
Choose any color and see where you can find it. This simple goal will shift your focus away from laughing and your inner emotions.
Sing a little.
Just a simple song, like ABC or Little Star! Thinking of tunes and humming lyrics are great ways to take your mind away from the emotions and urges of laughter.
Step 2. Pay attention to what often makes you laugh out of place
Do you laugh because you are nervous, or because you want to overcome the pain in your heart? Maybe you laugh because you have excess energy or have trouble finding the right words. Either way, write down the reasons why your laughter was causing trouble.
Pay attention to the times, locations, events, and people who make you laugh. This is called a trigger. Once you figure it out, you'll be able to solve this problematic laughing habit
Step 3. Choose a behavior that replaces laughter
What should you do instead of laughing nervously? For example, nodding, pursed lips, breathing slowly, or pressing a pencil. The decision about your laughter replacement habit depends on the circumstances that caused it.
- For example, maybe you laughed nervously during a meeting about work. If so, it's better to play with a pencil or press a pen instead of laughing.
- If you tend to laugh when you're serious, take a deep breath and exhale just as your laugh usually explodes.
Step 4. Make a plan to replace your laughter
Now that you know what makes you laugh and what you can do instead, tell yourself to keep trying to cultivate this new habit. Recalling this plan will make your efforts successful.
Say, “Tomorrow, every time I feel awkward in a meeting at work, I will press my pen,” or “When I go to funerals, I will nod when people share their feelings of grief.”
Step 5. Learn to deal with social anxiety if you experience it
Social anxiety is a common cause of people laughing inappropriately. By learning how to deal with it, you'll find it easier to relieve the urge to laugh like that. Dealing with and acknowledging this anxiety will help you be more confident in social situations and have more control over feeling nervous about laughing.
Overcoming Social Anxiety
Make a list of situations that you find scary.
Think about why you feel nervous in these situations and what you can do about it. Then, dare yourself to try these ways. Start small and invite your friends or confidants to accompany you.
Write down a social event that you successfully attended.
Focus on things that went well, your success overcoming your fears, and the great feeling you had afterward.
Identify the negative feelings that are holding you back so that it is difficult to move forward.
You may be trying to predict the future, worrying about bad things that may not happen, or worrying about what other people think of your life. Realize when you're having a hard time controlling something, like other people's thoughts, and just accept that fact.
Better yet, try to think otherwise.
Whenever you start to think negatively, stop immediately. Take a deep breath and try to think positively like “I will never succeed if I never try.”
See a therapist.
If you need help dealing with social anxiety, contact a therapist and make an appointment to talk about your difficulties and ways and strategies for dealing with them.
Step 6. Practice mindfulness or mindfulness
Train yourself to be mindful so you can stay focused on the present moment and be aware of your surroundings. Ultimately, this method will help you overcome the urge to laugh as an effect of distracting or shackled thoughts.
Basic mindfulness practice
Close your eyes and say the mantra over and over again.
Think of a word that helps you focus, such as “calm” or “inhale.” Do it regularly for 5 minutes every day. Allow your thoughts to come and go without letting yourself get carried away or make judgments. Breathe normally and continue chanting your mantra.
Observe and live the experience of the body.
Pay attention to subtle sensations that your body feels, such as itching or tingling under the skin. Gently feel each part of your body from heels to head.
Acknowledge your emotions.
Allow yourself to live things up without making any judgments. When you notice an emotion emerges, give it a name, such as “sadness” or “discomfort.” Stay relaxed, accept the presence of these feelings, and let them go.
Method 2 of 3: Coping With Inappropriate Laughter
Step 1. If it's still possible, get out of the way when you start laughing
When your laughter explodes before it has time to stop, immediately say goodbye to get out of the place. You'll have time to calm down and take a deep breath before rejoining the others. Learn to recognize the sensations that come before you laugh, and try to identify the triggers for your laughter so that you can quickly withdraw to get away somewhere else.
- Go to the restroom if you are at a funeral or at the office.
- Get out of the way or get in your car immediately if you are near the accident site.
- Leave the room if someone says something inappropriate.
Step 2. Cover your laugh with a cough if you don't have time to leave
Cover your mouth with your hand and make a coughing sound. If you still can't help but laugh, use your cough as an excuse to go to the restroom, a place where you can cool off.
- This method works when you start laughing out loud before you have time to stop it.
- You can also pretend to blow your nose.
Step 3. If you're still laughing, apologize
Tell them that you often laugh to overcome sadness or disappointment, then apologize if your actions actually hurt their feelings. By telling the truth, they will understand your behavior, while also helping you to calm your laughter by reducing anxiety.
Say, “I'm so sorry I laughed at your father's funeral. You should know that I really don't find the funeral ridiculous. I used to laugh when I was sad. I hope you're not offended."
Method 3 of 3: Dealing with Circumstances That Cause Inappropriate Laughter
Step 1. Visit a therapist for a deeper discussion of the problem
Maybe you can't stop laughing inappropriately. No problem. A therapist can help you identify the cause of your laughter and suggest better ways to deal with it.
You can find a therapist online
Step 2. Ask if you can use an SSRI
People may experience periodic bouts of uncontrollable laughter because of conditions such as pseudobulbar affect (PBA), bipolar disorder, dementia, stroke, or other neurological conditions. Antidepressants such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) have been successful in helping some people relieve repeated bouts of laughter.
The doctor will check if medication is the right way to solve your problem. SSRIs do not always work for all patients. In addition, its use can interfere with other medications
Step 3. Take cognitive behavioral therapy if you have Tourette's syndrome or OCD
Both of these conditions can cause you to laugh out of place. Due to Tourette's syndrome, you will experience laughter as a twitch or twitch, while Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) causes you to laugh out of habit. Fortunately, you can learn to work with both of these behaviors, even if it's difficult.
Cognitive behavioral therapy will help you learn to recognize when you will laugh and how to control it
Tips
- Don't feel guilty for wanting to laugh. It's perfectly normal to feel the urge to laugh at a sad or serious situation, wanting to ease your sadness.
- Try pulling the corners of your lips down, like you're licking. This pose is a signal to the brain that tells you that you are sad.
- Gaze at an object in the room and focus on your breath. Don't look at anyone who laughs or makes you laugh because you're bound to start laughing again.
- Try to stare at a single point in the room and don't take your eyes off it.
- Inhale deeply through your nose. Concentrate on not opening your mouth.
Warning
- If you can't stop laughing (or crying) uncontrollably at the wrong time, it could be a neurological defect caused by an accident or a disease affecting the brain. If that's the case, you should visit a health center.
- Do not bite your lips, tongue, or the inside of your cheeks. You can get hurt by it.
