When thinking of laughter, you probably imagine something loud, boisterous, and powerful. After all, most people express their feelings quite audibly when they find something or someone funny.
However, a healthy portion of individuals also laughs silently. In the sections that follow, we’ll discuss silent laughter, whether it’s healthy and normal, and how you can turn it up a notch if you want. Follow along!
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What Is Silent Laughter?
As its name suggests, silent laughter makes little to no noise. So, the air still comes from your belly, but it doesn’t reach or affect your vocal cords. As a result, all you can hear might be some labored breathing or a snort here and there.
Sometimes, not even laughter breaths can be detected unless you actually look at a person. Only at that point can you take note of their belly movements and the tell-tale smile playing on their face.
Is Silent Laughter Normal?
Yes, silent laughter is absolutely normal! Although everyone is more used to loud, reverberating sounds, laughing silently is an equally common and effective way to show that you find something funny.
In fact, silent laughter is actually healthy for you. It is practiced in both laughter yoga and laughter therapy as a way to relax and chase away negative thoughts and feelings.
At the same time, silent laughter helps you practice your belly muscles and breath control. Doing such exercises can make you calmer and more physically confident, as well as sleep better at night.
So, silent laughter is indeed normal. What’s more, if you use it well, it can help you be healthier and more relaxed on a daily basis.
More on the Benefits of Silent Laughter
According to experts who work with children in hospitals, the art of silent laughter does a lot to relieve pain and make their hospital stay easier. Plus, it also combats symptoms of insomnia, allowing the body to heal and get enough rest.
As already mentioned, silent laughter can also help you exercise your abs. Now, it’s important to say that the activity won’t give you a six-pack. However, it is still a useful exercise for when you can’t be bothered to work out but still want to feel like you accomplished something.
Furthermore, laughing silently can help you relax after a hard day. If you practice it as soon as you get home from work, its rhythmic nature can help relieve stress and chase away negative emotions.
Practical Benefits
Lastly, we will also discuss some practical benefits of silent laughter. How many times have you seen someone laugh out loud at the most inappropriate of times? Or better yet, how many times has someone been reprimanded for laughing too loudly in an environment that’s meant to be peaceful and quiet?
For most people, the answer to both questions is too many times to count. And in both situations, having the ability to laugh silently would’ve saved you or someone else a lot of embarrassment.
So, knowing how to laugh quietly is a great skill to have whether you are a student or an office worker. By using it, you can express your feelings on a matter without disturbing anyone or drawing the ire of your superiors.
Plus, you can be discreet if that one person that really annoys you says something funny and you don’t want to give them the satisfaction of having made you laugh. If you ask us, this might be the biggest perk of them all.
Why Do Some People Laugh Silently?
Like with most facts about laughter, it is difficult to assess why some people laugh silently. A few factors might come into play, including genetics and overall habits.
For example, if someone is naturally quiet and shy, they will be more likely to laugh silently as well. That makes sense, as such people seldom want to draw attention to themselves. So, laughing silently is a great way to participate in the fun without doing so.
Likewise, it is difficult to gauge why someone laughs loudly. It might be due to a larger lung capacity or the simple wish to make others laugh along when they hear them.
In the end, it all depends on the individual person, and there is no definitive way of knowing why. Plus, the same person might laugh silently in one situation and loudly in another, so it is also up to the circumstances.
How to Change Your Silent Laugh
As beneficial as it is, some people simply aren’t fans of silent laughter. They might find it unsettling or rude, leading to awkwardness and miscommunication in relationships.
If you want to avoid such inconveniences and learn how to laugh loudly, read on. Here are some tips for vocalizing your laughs and fully partaking in the fun around you.
1. Practice, Practice, Practice
To learn how to make your laugh audible, you have to practice vocalizing. The least stressful way to do that is on your own at home. All you have to do is play funny videos or remember funny memories as you try to expel the laughter air through your mouth.
While funny videos can help make your laughter sound more natural, you can also practice without any actual entertainment. A good tip in this situation is to take deep breaths before you laugh. Then, let it out in an exaggerated way while vocalizing on purpose.
If you sound ridiculous at first, don’t fret. After all, the point of the exercise is to find your natural loud laugh, and doing so will take some time and effort. So, try to relax as much as possible and tune out any embarrassment you might be feeling.
If you feel comfortable practicing around others, that also might help. By hearing them laugh out loud, you might have an easier time letting your own laugh tumble through your lips.
2. Try Vocal Exercises
Most vocal exercises include the syllable HA, which is one that the vast majority of people use when laughing. So, you can try using these exercises to make vocalizing this syllable more natural.
The best way to go about it is to do vocal exercises at least once a day. In addition, it’s smart to do them right before an outing with friends, so that your vocal cords warm up right on time for some laughs.
3. Patience Is Key
Last but not least, you should note that you won’t be able to change the way you laugh overnight. Instead, it will take weeks and even months to replace your current habits with new ones.
Thus, the most important prerequisite you need to arm yourself with is patience. You will need to practice every day and keep going even if you cannot see immediate results.
Moreover, it’s essential to remember that your laugh makes you unique. So, if you don’t feel comfortable or it simply doesn’t sound natural, it’s okay.
Don’t try to force it and make yourself miserable in situations that ought to be fun and relaxing. If loud laughing comes to you naturally, great. If not, your silent laugh is just as special and valid, and you should embrace it.
Key Takeaways
While most people associate laughter with loudness, there are many who laugh without vocalizing. Doing so is completely normal, and it is even healthy as it can help you relax and have better breath control.
If you wish to learn how to laugh louder, practice and patience are key. So, make sure you devote a lot of time to changing your laugh and persist even if things seem hopeless.
And in the end, if change doesn’t come, don’t despair. The way you laugh is a big part of who you are, so embracing it is a great step toward accepting and loving yourself.
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- By Soundproof Living