Couples who laugh together, stay together. Here’s why humour is important

Bollywood heartthrob aka global sensation Priyanka Chopra Jonas is the talk of the town these days. Wondering why we are speaking about her? Well, the way she went ahead and roasted her partner and popular singer Nick Jonas on the Jonas Brothers Family Roast is beyond hilarious. The LOL moments on the show highlighted the camaraderie the couple share! The way they laugh with, and at each other, is what makes them so very special

So, is sharing a sense of humour the key to a successful relationship? Or does it really not matter? Well, we reached out to Srishti Jaitley, Counseling Psychologist at IWill, to tell our HealthShots readers more about this.

The ingredients of a successful relationship

“My partner always makes me laugh”. We often hear this when we ask people about what keeps their relationship going.This clearly tells how attractive a healthy sense of humour is as a trait and plays a significant role in partner selection.

“When the sense of humour of two people matches, they know there is always the scope to lighten the mood of the space, and they mostly find each other on the same wavelength,” explains Jaitley.

Furthermore, research from the University of Kansas analysed the findings of 39 studies, and looked at 15,000 participants over the last 30 years to find out more about the importance of humour in a relationship.

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“What is strongly related to relationship satisfaction is the humour that couples create together,” mentioned the research. It was revealed that playfulness between romantic partners is a crucial component in bonding and establishing relational security. Moreover, shared laughter was termed an important indicator of romantic attraction between potential mates.

Watch snippets of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ ‘roast’ right here!

What are the benefits of shared humour for a relationship?

Cheerful and light humor can bring positive outcomes in a relationship, says Jaitley. Here’s how it can help:

1. Conflict resolution:

   “It is a very healthy tool for conflict resolution, as it provides some space for things to cool off, giving each one a moment to pause and reflect about the situation,” she adds.

2. Fosters joy:

   Humour brings with it the sense of joy and happiness. It also helps to lighten the excess baggage of negative emotions that we often carry with us and in our relationships.

3. Enhances intimacy:

   “Humour also builds a strong sense of intimacy that pans across the romantic, friendly and sexual intimacy between partners. Being able to share a good laugh with another person is also a reflection of our ability to be vulnerable around them, which helps to build strong relationships. Our ability to share a laugh with another person also tells about our shared preferences,” explains Jaitley.

   

Are there any negatives too?

“Although a cracker, but a tough nut to crack. Humour is also a common defence mechanism used by humans to often express what they wish to say but are scared to blurt it out. In other scenarios, it helps to often repress our true emotions and brush things under the carpet,” shares Jaitley.

If partners in a relationship use humour in these patterns, it can lead to layering of unresolved conflicts and lack of honest expression of needs, wants and wishes in the relationship. This can often act as a barrier in healthy communication.

“Harmless humour and teasing is good, but if it turns ugly and aggressive towards another partner at any point of time, it is a red flag in a relationship. That should not be taken lightly. This can be an indicator of repressed anger,” she concludes.

So dear ladies, get together with your loved one, and laugh a little at each other, or together!