Why Humor Is The Best Thing For Your Relationship

It's been said that we can't truly love another person if they don't laugh with us, or make us laugh. It makes sense — there are endless laughter benefits. Couples who laugh together have a stronger bond, and are able to overcome the stresses and conflicts in their relationship. Shared laughter with your significant other can improve your relationship in the most enjoyable way possible.

Laughter plays an extremely important role in our relationships from the initial attraction to longterm commitments. Humor is the number one quality people look for in choosing a partner, and can be an effective way to attract another person. Hilarious is the new hot.

Humor is a great way to eliminate any awkwardness or embarrassment that can happen during a first date. You can tell a lot about a person by what they think is funny. If your date thinks it's hilarious to do stupid card tricks with the bartender, and his doing so just makes you cringe, you now have a clear sign that the two of you won't ever be compatible, and you'll know to cut your losses right away.

Laughing, giggling and guffawing with your partner increases happiness —not just in your own life, but in the life you share together. Laughter costs nothing, and yet the benefits are massive. Just hearing a person laugh can put you in a good mood. Injecting a little humor into your relationship will help it to thrive, and survive.

1. Laughing makes you physically feel better and that's going to make you much nicer to your partner.

Laughter is the most holistic of medicines as it naturally treats both the mind and the body. Laughter can help lower your blood pressure, boost your immune system, trigger the release of endorphins (the body's natural feel-good chemicals,) relax your muscles, and prevent heart disease. Comedy is better than kale.

2. Laughter is like a mini day spa for your emotions.

When you're laughing, you're less defensive, you let go of your inhibitions, and are more spontaneous. When you're enjoying a joke or a funny story, you are much more fun to be around. You'll feel more like an Upbeat Ursula than a Debbie Downer.

3. Humor is crucial when it comes to better communication with your partner.

A well-timed joke can lighten a tense situation, and it can help you resolve arguments. Humor can help put things in perspective and assist you in seeing things from your partner's point of view. When you are experiencing the benefits of humor, you loosen up, and you're able to solve a problem more creatively.

4. Laughter adds excitement to a relationship gone blah.

Laughing not only makes us better problem-solvers when there's tension, but it can help us bond us closer together — and increase attraction to our partners. These are all so much more necessary when your relationship feels stale.

5. Inside jokes between you and your S.O. will draw you together and add another layer of intimacy to your relationship.

When you have a joke that only your S.O. and you understand, it can often be a shortcut to closeness. As time goes on, your inside joke can be reduced to a word, a short phrase, or small gesture, the use of which will instantly give the both of you a moment of affection. When you have amusing stories or jokes that just the two of you understand, it's the same as having a secret language. Sure it can be creepy when twins have it, but it's sweet and romantic for you and your significant other.

6. It's a stress-reliever

Since you're past the stage of trying to impress your partner, and can now just be yourself, sometimes doing a bit of physical comedy, wearing something wacky, or goofing around will lighten things up. It's a great stress reliever for both you and your partner when you release your inner child.

7. Humor benefits your sex life

There are so many laughable things that can happen when you're having sex; some of them deliberate, and some of them not. If you're relaxed enough to see the humor in the queefing, the farting, and the awkward and unsuccessful role playing, then you can make your bedroom embarrassment one of your inside jokes instead of the most humiliating sex ever.

Sharing the funny with your S.O. doesn't need to be LMAO funny, it can be wry, dry or just amusing humor. Sometimes just binging watching Arrested Development together or sharing the hysterical thing your cat did is enough. Any shared humor is a good thing, it doesn't all have to be comedy gold.

Everybody wants to laugh because our bodies instinctively know it's good for us and for our relationships. Love can keep us together, but it's shared laughter that makes our relationships fun and lasting.

Images: Sam Stanton/Flickr; Giphy (1-2,4-6); Tumblr (3)