How to hold back a laugh at a crucial moment? It seems that everyone had a situation where at a crucial or tense moment they wanted to laugh heartily, for no reason. Excitement, stress, panic - our psyche is trying to protect us, but we are not up to it when any important issue is decided at stake?
Even a barely noticeable “hee hee” can be heard by your boss and misunderstood. At your causeless laugh, someone may seriously be offended. Laughter is great, but only when it is appropriate. How to restrain laughter and smile? What advice can psychologists give you?
How to hold back a laugh?
Although they say that laughter prolongs life and you need to laugh more often, it is worth noting that joyful facial expressions or laughter are not always appropriate and it is unlikely that they can be justified by a saying. People around you may not understand your chuckle, think that you are laughing at them or do not realize the degree of importance of the conversation. When you suddenly want to laugh, try to calm down, make your brain concentrate on the moment, try to realize the importance of what is happening.
Think of something sad
To be distracted during an important conversation is bad advice, but still, if you wondered how to hold back a laugh, remember something bad, sad, a tragic event or a sad ending to the film, a chorus of a sad song. Think about what might make you cry. Although this is unpleasant, it is effective even when it is impossible to restrain laughter.
When sad thoughts do not help, think about the terrible, for example, a scene from a horror movie. Scientists have studied and proved that adrenaline (the hormone of fear) is much stronger than endorphins. He will easily calm your causeless desire to laugh.
Pinch yourself
An unpleasant and strong physical sensation will help your brain switch, forget about laughing. Pinch your hand, bite your lip or the inside of your cheek, press on a bruise, bruise - do something that will bring your body unpleasant sensations and change the center of attention. Reception will help switch just a few seconds, but this is enough to suppress laughter.
Exhale
Exhaling is another way to hold back a laugh. Emptying the lungs, maximum exhalation works in a variety of situations, and this is what you need to calm down and put your thoughts in order. In addition, in this method of restraining laughter, physiology also works: in order to laugh, a person needs a large amount of air. As right, emptying the lungs, you will - if I may say so - nothing to laugh. After exhaling, cough. A cough can distract the attention of those sitting next to the conversation, but it certainly will not offend the speaker.
Cough
If the chuckle still bursts, then you can disguise it by coughing. Choked, with whom it does not happen. Cover your mouth with your palm to hide a smile and pretend that you are coughing. Better, just leave your office to cough. Breathe, calm down, tune in to a new wave and come back.
Pinch nose
If the situation is out of control, and you can hardly hold back so as not to burst into laughter, quickly squeeze your nose and mouth. Bend and hold your breath. The burst out laughing can be imagined as sneezing or sobbing, depending on the situation. Sentimentality or the common cold will forgive you.
Self hypnosis
Psychologists talk about the effect of reverse self-hypnosis. Just repeat to yourself “Laugh! That's funny! Let's laugh! ” Surprisingly, sometimes it works and the situation ceases to be ridiculous. I wonder how this reverse self-hypnosis functions.
1, 2, 3, 4 ...
A score of 1 to 10 will help calm down. Count to yourself, slowly, pausing. And better, count in the opposite direction or skipping even (numbers that contain the letter "t"). Occupy your head with something else. The score in this situation is the best assistant. The same multiplication table is a great way to switch. Set yourself a complex example and solve the problem in several actions, calculate the percentage of something in your mind.
It would seem that this is a laugh? But someone who is nearby may think that you are laughing at him, and not everyone is able to cope with what has become the object of ridicule. That is why it is important to know how to learn to restrain laughter in inappropriate situations.
It is important to note that the inability to resist laughing or crying, sudden mood swings can be symptoms of a neurological disorder. So, having noticed frequent attacks, it is better to consult a specialist.