Comedy and Mental Health
I was going on a walk to clear my mind. I just moved back home to Tennessee due to COVID-19. Needless to say, a lot was going on. I was suddenly the middle child again, I couldn’t focus in school, I was navigating moving back to my childhood bedroom, I was stressed. Although, my daily walks were something I cherished. Sometimes I would go on two or three a day just to clear my head…but sometimes I couldn’t. The stress of the pandemic and the future wouldn’t leave my mind. It would snowball into thoughts that became worse and worse.
I thought running would help, and it did for a while, but the thoughts came back. I decided to download the Headspace app. I was looking for guided runs or walks, or literally anything so I wouldn’t have to hear my own thoughts. Then I read “Gentle Run With Kevin.” As in Kevin Hart. I began running “with” Kevin Hart and the thoughts didn’t just go away, I was laughing and smiling! The other runners probably thought I was crazy, but Hart acknowledging mental health and staying mindful changed everything for me.
“Whatever that distraction may be, we’re not going to focus on that. We are going to focus on what’s important, and that’s yourself.”
Many people turn to comedy when they are have nowhere else to turn. When something horrific happens or someone is simply feeling down in the dumps nothing beats a good chuckle from The Office.
Laughter is extremley important for an individuals mental health. Laughter releases emotional and physical tension, enhances cognitive function, increases friendliness, and can elevates the individuals mood. Comedy has the ability to bring people together through laughter, whether they are aware of it or not.
“Laughing swaps the cortisol in our bloodstream with highly sought after chemicals in the brain: dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. Dopamine can enhance learning, motivation, and attention. Oxytocin is considered the “empathy hormone” and the “bonding chemical,” and when it enters the bloodstream it creates feelings of relatedness. Endorphins trigger feelings of pleasure; people can endure 15% more pain simply by laughing for a few minutes beforehand. Other health benefits: improved immune functioning, stress relief, improved cardiovascular health, reduced anxiety, sense of safety, and improved mood.”
When comedians are able to make people laugh when discussing serious subjects, they have the ability to move the masses by displaying a critical lens on the injustices happening in the world, while giving the audience optimism and hope through laughter. Comedians also have the ability to act as the pathway to bringing up important topics. They essential “butter” the crowd up, through laughter thus increasing their attention and willingness to listen. Comedians can assist in the breaking down of social barriers by humanizing certain issues in a “non-threating” way. It has the ability to level with the audience. Bringing up these issues lightly and with comedy, could potentially make the audience realize that these aren’t issues one person is going to solve. With the group laughter, people are more open minded, and more willing to understand it’s a team effort.
“Comedy really does have properties to decrease tension; to shift public opinion, educate and mobilize.” — Lauren Feldman, author
Kevin Hart is is well respected comedian in Hollywood. He could very easily never discuss the “heavier” issues, and simply focus on making people laugh. However, he doesn’t. Hart has decided to use his platform for good, especially during the pandemic.
I think that … understanding the importance of taking care of your mental [health], of working on your mental [health], is something that people should prioritize. In the pandemic you got to see how real it is. You got to see how some people can truly struggle in this space. And it’s not a joke. It’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked. I applaud those that have stepped up and voiced their problems and their struggles because it’s given other people the courage to do the same.
Now with the help of Headspace, you’re able to tap into something to help you figure out the way to navigate your thoughts, or to learn a good way of approaching mindfulness, or approaching the steps in just getting clarity and understanding. It’s real … The idea of understanding mindfulness is something that people are now starting to gravitate towards, and that’s a big thing. That’s a huge thing.
Kevin Hart is in a position where people are actually listening to him. He preaches that “Mental health is just as important as the physical, if not more.” Hart partnered with Headspace in late 2020. Hart joining headspace was monumental. It allowed people who knew nothing about mindfulness and meditation a window and “non-threatening” way to join.
Hart also brings up other important mental health issues, including personal ones. Hart discusses how he has always was insecure about his height growing up. With mindfulness and the power of positivity he is “beyond confident.” Hart preaches that we have one life, only one, and he is going to embrace what he was given.
He belives that the positivity he puts out into the world through comedy can act as a positive reenforcement for other. “The more that I can give and take my platform to throw good energy out, I’m doing my part.” Aside from mental health, Kevin Hart was extremely vocal during the Black Lives Matter movement in June 2020. He also partnered with United Negro College Fund and made a donation of $600,000. He has discussed the importance of education children, and this charity is close to his heart.,
Kevin Hart is a force not to be reckoned with. Comedy acts as a vehicle for social change, but putting yourself in a position where you practice what you preach is rare. He discusses serious issues in his comedy sets, but he also follows through with action.
SOURCES
https://neuroleadership.com/your-brain-at-work/neuroscience-laughter-at-work/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kevin-hart-morning-person_us_5b16a68ae4b081422e210783