Stress relief from laughing is seriously no joke–did you know it’s actually a proven method to lower stress? And who hasn’t dealt with stress lately? Funny stress-relief quotes are an easy way to release some tension on a bad day because they’re quick and fun.
Sometimes, a good laugh is all the medicine we need. It’s even a strategy I used as a Social Worker with clients. It broke the tension in some stressful situations, and it also helped me bond with the people I was serving in a deeper way, which is something I loved. ❤️
Stressful Days
Recently, stress has also been abundant in my day-to-day from costly home repairs one after the other, panic attacks, school issues and more. 🤦🏻♀️
I know you’ve had days, weeks, or maybe months on end like that when it was one thing after the other, and everything seemed to be crumbling.
You’re not alone. I hear you and understand how challenging life can be because, as a working mom, those days are plentiful.
Related post: 14 Quick Stress Relievers For Women (Not Exercise or Sleep!)
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Benefits of Laughter
Laughter is an underrated but proven tool to diffuse situations, improve your mood and overcome stressful situations or negative thoughts. That’s why I wanted to share these funny stress-relief quotes.
Laughter releases the feel-good chemicals in our brain, which are dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. (1) Dopamine can improve motivation and attention. Oxytocin is known as a ‘bonding chemical,’ and endorphins trigger feelings of pleasure. (2) 🎉
There are many other benefits of laughter; below are some of the short-term effects and some long-term ones.
Short-Term Benefits:
- Above all, laughter improves mood and lifts your spirits.
- It also soothes tension as it stimulates blood circulation and helps with muscle relaxation.
- It helps to relax you as laughing increases and then decreases your heart rate and blood pressure, giving you a relaxing feeling.
- When you laugh, your stress hormones are even lowered.
- Laughing helps to build rapport with others because of the positive social interaction.
- It even changes your facial expression. In other words, you look more positive and approachable.
- It also releases negative feelings. (All from resources 3, 4 & 5 below)
Long-Term Benefits:
- It improves your immune functioning because it releases positive thoughts that help fight stress and potentially more serious illnesses.
- Laughter also helps improve your cardiovascular health.
- In addition, laughing can even lessen symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Laughing can help to relieve pain.
- It improves your brain functioning, such as memory and alertness.
- Laughter also lowers your blood sugar levels. (All from resources 6, 7 & 8 below)
In conclusion…
Although laughter as a medical intervention still needs more empirical research, the bottom line is that just as eating vegetables and getting enough sleep is good for you, “…laughter is a sound prescription as a wonderful way to enhance health.” (9)
It’s basically one of the most powerful self-care ideas for stress.
Related post: 56 Essential Self Care Gift Ideas For Any Occasion
The 43 Best Funny Stress-Relief Quotes That Work Like Magic
Pick a few that really stand out so you can quickly reference them.
Some of these funny quotes for stress even challenge the way we think about stress and how it’s often our own thoughts that make things seem worse than they really are.
1. If stress burned calories, I’d be a supermodel.
Anonymous
2. I’ve got 99 problems, and 86 of them are completely made-up scenarios in my head that I’m stressing about for absolutely no logical reason.
Unknown
Right?! I know anyone struggling with anxiety can relate to this one, and that’s one of the reasons why being able to laugh and see the lighter side of things can be so helpful.
3. There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.
Henry A. Kissinger
I second this quote…for life. 😉
4. For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.
Lily Tomlin
5. God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now, I am so far behind I will never die.
Unknown
6. If each day is a gift, I would love to know where I can return my Mondays.
John Wagner
This made my husband and I laugh out loud. 😂 This is a question I believe most people want the answer to.
7. Don’t worry, better days are coming, and they are called Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Anonymous
8. The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.
Oscar Wilde
9. If I’m not back in five minutes, just wait longer.
Jim Carrey
10. Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves?
Robin Williams
11. Reality is the leading cause of stress for those in touch with it.
Jane Wagner
12. So you mean to tell me a stress ball isn’t for throwing at people who stress you out?
Unknown
13. My boss told me to have a good day…so I went home.
Unknown
14. The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.
Lily Tomlin
15. Ten years from now you’ll laugh at whatever’s stressing you out today. So why not laugh now?
Tony Robbins
16. To thrive in life, you need three bones. A wishbone. A backbone. And a funny bone.
Reba McEntire
Absolutely, a funnybone is essential to living a great life and also not taking yourself too seriously.
17. Remember today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
Dale Carnegie
This is ironic, but also true and hilarious. 😂 A post about funny stress-relief quotes wouldn’t be complete without it.
18. I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.
Ashleigh Brilliant
19. All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
Charles M. Schulz
I take this advice seriously. Make it dark chocolate, since it’s healthier for you, so you won’t have to feel guilty about eating it.
20. We must have pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.
David Mamet
21. Work and stress go hand in hand. If you aren’t stressed, you aren’t working!
Unknown
The Fun Continues with More Funny Stress-Relief Quotes
22. Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow internet to see who they really are.
Will Ferrell
This made me think of my techy husband, who thinks waiting for anything on the computer for more than 2 seconds is simply unacceptable. 😆
23. Life isn’t as serious as the mind makes it out to be.
Eckhart Tolle
24. His insomnia was so bad, he couldn’t sleep during office hours.
Arthur Baer
25. Give your stress wings and let it fly.
Terri Guillemets
26. Relax. No one else knows what they’re doing either.
Ricky Gervais
We often give ourselves so little credit, but it’s important to remember we are all works in progress, and there is always more to learn.
27. If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it.
George Burns
28. Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!
Anonymous
Agreed! 🍪🧁🍩🍦
29. Do not underestimate your abilities. That is your boss’s job.
Unknown
30. Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you.
John De Paola
31. I stress about stress before there is any stress to stress about.
Unknown
Yup. All. The. Time. This is another staple funny stress-relief quote for all my anxiety peeps out there. It gets better, though, I promise. My content is focused on coming alongside you and sharing easy strategies and powerful mindset shifts. ❤️
32. Brain cells create ideas. Stress kills brain cells. Stress is not a good idea.
Arthur Frederick Saunders
33. Time is an illusion. Lunchtime is doubly so.
Douglas Adams
I’m not sure why, but this is one of the stress-relief quotes that kills me. It’s so relatable when you have a 9-5 office job. 😂
34. By working faithfully 8 hours a day, you may eventually get to be boss and work 12 hours a day.
Robert Frost
35. Some days, the best thing about the job is that the chair spins.
Unknown
And don’t forget the treats that people bring in.
36. If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago.
E. Joseph Cossman
37. Laughter is the only medicine, without side effects.
Shannon L. Alder
I couldn’t agree more. There is something powerful about the ability to see the lighter side of things, to break the ice or tension, or to share a fun moment with someone.
38. When I hear somebody sigh, ‘Life is Hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?’
Sydney J. Harris
39. From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere.
Dr. Seuss
40. I choose a lazy person to do a hard job because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.
Bill Gates
41. A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it.
Bob Hope
42. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency.
Natalie Goldberg
This is a true statement since it’s often our reactions or negative thought patterns that escalate or catastrophize situations.
43. What you want is to develop a sustainable habit: a stress-free approach to reducing your stress.
Greg McKeown
I’m with you on this one, Greg. Even though we can’t eliminate stress, there are many strategies and mindset shifts to help reduce and manage our stress, which is a regular topic here, so do stick around. 😘
The 43 Best Funny Stress-Relief Quotes: Laughter Is No Joke
The other day, when I was in our flooded basem*nt, stressed about the damage and expensive repair, my very funny husband looked at me. Then he cracked a joke. It took me a few seconds to get out of the pity party I was in, but that laugh was exactly what I needed.
It’s easy to get stuck in spiralling negative thoughts and thinking of worst-case scenarios because our brains automatically move into stress mode during those times.
The next time you feel stressed, remember to take some deep breaths and then try to break out of those stress-filled thoughts with something funny.
PIN this post for easy reference and share it with anyone who may need a laugh.
Bonus: Bible Verses on Laughter
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
Job 8:21
So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person than to eat, drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 8:15
I couldn’t think of a better way to end this post than by sharing these scriptures that back these quotes up. In short, these verses and words of wisdom are a powerful reminder that despite all of our troubles, God wants us to laugh, enjoy life and have a grateful heart.🙏
Before You Leave
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Resources
1 The Neuroscience of Laughter, and How to Inspire More of It at Work
2 same as above
3 Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke – Mayo Clinic
4 same as #1
5 The Benefits of Laughter – Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
6 same as #1
7 same as #3
8 same as #5
9 Laughter prescription
