03 June 2023 , 16:04
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With fears over the cost of living, endless bills and the NHS groaning at the seams, life can feel overwhelming. But now psychologists are recommending that we all work some regular silliness into our routine, claiming this can not only bring moments of mental reprieve, but boost your emotional and physical wellbeing.
Eight million Brits are suffering from anxiety, while the root of anxious thinking is spending time either ruminating about the past or worrying about the future.
“Silliness falls under the umbrella of positive emotions which are powerful for wellbeing at every age,” explains psychologist Dr Meg Arroll, author of Tiny Traumas.
“Being silly anchors you in the moment and creates space to simply ‘be’ without worrying. Children are masters of silliness, enjoying harmless playfulness without feeling self-conscious.
Dr Meg Arroll said silliness falls under the umbrella of positive emotions (JENNY SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY)
Dancing to a song you love can make you feel better (Stock photo) (Getty Images/Johner RF)“As adults, it may feel as though we lose our silliness, but it’s more the stress of adult responsibility knocking the desire to be silly out of us.
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“Re-engaging with our childlike sense of silliness can be difficult, but research shows finding small pockets of emotional respite from stress can improve psychological resilience and physical wellbeing.”
Psychotherapist Katerina Georgiou and author of How to Understand and Deal with Stress, says: “There’s a reason for the phrase ‘a change is as good as a rest’.
“You might not be able to change the fact the bills are high, but you can open the window, make a funny noise and feel the summer breeze on your face, or choose to put odd socks on in the morning.”
She believes silliness is underrated.
“We have access to 24/7 news, which tends to be negative, and we’re collectively sitting with a sense of doom. We are prioritising seriousness but it’s important to acknowledge being silly has value, and there is a reason as humans that we have the capacity for it.
“Your particular type of silliness could be as simple as popping bubble wrap, watching a comedy or flicking paint messily on a page instead of being neat and tidy.”
Katerina stresses the importance of choosing to be silly in a way that feels good to you.
“Silliness is one way of accessing joy. It’s not a substitution for medications or therapies prescribed to you by doctors, but an extra tool in your mental health toolbox.”
Silliness should never be forced, the expert said (Stock photo) (Getty Images/Tetra images RF)But can silliness be annoying to others?
“Of course,” says Meg. “If the joke is on another person, it’s possible they won’t enjoy it, even if your intention wasn’t malicious.”
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Being truly silly in a harmless way is usually in the company of people we have a close, trusting relationship with.
Meg adds: “True, harmless silliness is about embracing the moment and being spontaneous. A prank can be childish and emotionally harmful to others – very different from the childlike joy silliness brings us which doesn’t negatively impact others.”
It’s important to remember that while silliness is a great add-on, it should never be forced.
“If you’re feeling complex emotions like anger, rage, despair, or grief, those feelings are valid, as is taking clinical care of mental illness. Silliness may not be something within your current capacity and that’s OK. It’s important we feel all our emotions, seek support and give ourselves time to process issues.
“For those in a deep level of despair, silliness and joy can feel difficult to generate, so give yourself the gift of time. If therapy and medication is the focus for improving your mental health, don’t skip it.
“But when you’re in a better space, silliness can become a great add-on to your usual self-care, like taking a walk, going to the gym and eating well.”
The benefits of silliness
Flourishing: When a person is depressed, they experience negative symptoms on a scale. One step up from that sense of languishing is coasting. Then, you begin flourishing. Being intentional and creating positive emotions like silliness, rather than simply waiting for good moods to come to you, can help aid emotional recovery.
Boost immunity: Chronic stress without respite activates a part of the nervous system which can impair immune function. Studies have shown that long-term stress can make physical wounds heal more slowly. Being silly can reduce the impact of stress.
The Undoing Effect: Experiencing positive emotions have been found to undo the cardiovascular after-effects of acute stressful events. If you’ve had a tough meeting, a nerve-wracking public presentation or a squabble with a loved one, a burst of silliness can bring your body back to homeostasis – a steady state of physical and chemical conditions in the body.
Easy ways to give harmless silliness a go
“I take the hopeful view that everyone has the capacity to be silly, but that doesn’t mean everyone is in a context where they feel safe enough to be silly,” says Meg.
“It may be that a person doesn’t trust themselves, those around them or holds back because of their social context. If we don’t have the ‘soil’ for it, silliness won’t grow. But it’s something we can nurture.”
Meg recommends being silly daily.
“If we activate that behaviour, especially when we’re having a rubbish day, we will feel better. But if you don’t know how to start, focus on making someone else close to you smile.
“Pull a silly face or do a silly voice and watch how their good emotions come back to you. Silliness is quite contagious.”
Each day, try to allocate 10 minutes to one of the following:
- Sing loudly and badly
- Dance to a song you love (or do the silliest dance moves you can muster)
- Learn a viral dance
- Watch funny animal videos
- Tickle a person you trust (with their consent!)
- Have a water fight in the summer or snowball fights in thewinter
- Make up terrible jokes, or laugh at some dad jokes
- Print pictures of people you love pulling silly faces and pop them on your fridge, so every time you walk past them, they make you smile
If you can’t have a moment of silliness today, visualise a memory of a time you were silly and relive the joy you felt. Bring to mind the sounds, sights, smells and touch.