What’s Made You Laugh Lately?

My kids recently introduced me to the British television show, Task Master. Each season, five comedians compete against each other as they complete ridiculous tasks given to the by the Task Master. It’s hilarious. We’ve found that it is available on You Tube.

Meds are very specific to each person, but I’ve been on HRT for 18 months and just got a Mirena coil to replace my oral progesterone and I feel like a new person. Gone are weekly migraines, digestive problems and breakouts. I feel happier and less anxious. I was a bit crampy and uncomfortable at first (still spotting), but I’m thrilled with the results thus far.

If you haven’t heard the Off Menu podcast, it reliably makes me laugh until I shake the bed. Paul Rudd’s is excellent but my favorite ones are from people I’ve never heard of.

Chris Fleming videos on YuoTube

The best, funnies clips to me are old Billy on the Street videos on youtube. I die laughing every time. Here is a good one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EobrSmCJ9dE

I highly, HIGHLY recommend the book Pure O OCD: Letting Go of Obsessive Thoughts with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. You may say, “Well I don’t have that. I just have general anxiety.” But anxiety is a spectrum from general to OCD, so the advice I would think is still very relevant. It’s all about noticing your thoughts but not fusing with them. letting the thoughts and feelings be there without inherently trusting the narrative. I’ve found it life changing, and I will probably re-read.

I laughed SO hard during the first episode of Company Retreat – the newest season of Jury Duty where everyone is an actor except one person who is just a normal person thinking they’re living their normal life.

Menopause made my anxiety worse. If you are on meds, talk with your medical provider. Might be reasonable to increase your dose/change medications if other non medication strategies aren’t helping. Life’s too short to suffer with anxiety symptoms!

If I feel a wave of anxiety coming on, I do some vigorous exercise – jumping jacks, burpees, etc…It removes the adrenalin from your body and makes you feel calmer

A therapist taught me this: if you’re spinning out or starting to panic, look for all the green things in the room. It grounds you in the present. Sorry to hear your anxiety has been spiking. Mine has too and I don’t know why.

Political cartoons, such as those on politico.com. We have to laugh, right?

A couple things made me laugh recently… At my mom’s recent celebration of life, I had to excuse myself for a minute as I was having some Zoloft breakthrough tears. I wasn’t paying attention and realized I had inadvertently gone into the men’s room – whoops. Getting locked out of the bathroom in a hotel room and having to come down to the front desk with bed head, retainer and glasses to ask for help.

Try EMDR therapy with an EMDR certified therapist. That kind of therapy can be magic if the therapist is s good one ♥️

Watching any episode of “Schitt’s Creek” always brings me joy! My cousin and I share quotes so often – it never gets old!

Breathe. I know it isn’t the cure for serious anxiety but it helps. Breathe in through your nose slowly in an even way on a count, whatever you can handle, maybe start with 4 or 5. Hold for 4 or 5. Exhale through your mouth slowly and evenly for 4 or 5. Hold for 4 or 5. Repeat. Some people call this box breathing. Do a few reps of this and then do it without the holds. We all forget to breathe, esp. when we’re anxious or tense. Force yourself to make it flow. Focus on the evenness and the counts and experiment with what counts work for you now and over time try to lengthen the count.

I have to go to a 4-day conference for work in June and I was complaining to my husband about having to be “on” for 10 to 11 hours every day, between the conference and the inevitable evening networking events and team dinners. Since I am a dedicated introvert, having to socialize for so long is incredibly draining and I am fully dreading it. My sweet 7 year old daughter (a social butterfly like her dad) pipes and says: “Mom! Let me give you some tips. First, you just need to be nice to people. Like, if they tell you that they have weenie dog, you can’t laugh. Because that would be mean. And then, you just have to pretend that you’re happy while you’re there but you don’t have to be happy inside. You can just call me and dad and we’ll help you be happy for real.” I fully plan to follow her advice and fake my way through the day so I can relax and soak in all the happiness and warmth from home during our nightly FaceTime call.

Two things that made me snort recently: We have two pugs (10 & 1 y/o). Took them on a walk and Pippi the youngster circled Claude the oldster at the ankles with the paired leash and he slow-motion fell over like a tipped cow. He’s fine. My older daughter was at the prime age for the height of Taylor Swift Eras Tour mania and knows all the songs left-right-backwards-forwards. Little sister has been bringing up the rear and just got her own way to make playlists so she’s telling me what she’s got. “My favorite Taylor Swift song is: A LITTLE BIT TAYLOR.” Older sister is like huh?! Ohhh….! Elizabeth Taylor.

I hear you! I get anxious too. My husband sent me this once when I was feeling anxious about something. It really helps me to take a step back and see if I can identity where the anxiety is coming from and they apply this “why worry” video to it https://youtu.be/9YRjX3A_8cM

I’m a health coach/nutritional therapy practitioner for mid-life women and a lot of the anxiety can be due to that we can’t tolerate things food/substance-wise we could tolerate just fine before as we go through perimenopause. Alcohol and caffeine in particular; eliminating them makes a world of difference in anxiety (not very fun, though!). Adding in lots of protein and fiber too (I am for 80+grams of protein and 30-40grams fiber daily). And magnesium definitely helps as well; I like magnesium-glycinate.

I think laughing together is such a great way to connect and regulate. On Sunday nights, we have been watching a couple of episodes of Friends together, the whole family. My kids are 15, 13.5, and 12 and finally last summer they were both old enough for Friends to work, and also understand/speak enough English to get it. Laughing together is such a great way to end one week and get ready for the next one.

Dear Jo, perimenopause had raised my anxiety levels to the sky, I had to increase my Antidepressant and it was very strange to me because I used to define myself more as «depressive with no anxiety »! It was 5 years ago. I am now « on the other side », and anxiety has mostly disappeared. Speak with you psychiatrist and gynaecologist! It can help!

All in the Family and Cosby Show…both very accurate and hilarous portrayals of American family life in two very different decades!

I’ve never been diagnosed with anxiety but I am a lifelong member of the overthinker’s club – my brain just doesn’t stop and is a constant stream of forward planning, strategy and a running inner dialogue. It’s a lot, particular when different aspects of life are stressful. Reading has always been calming for me but since my daughter turned two I’ve also been a regular at my local climbing gym. I go twice a week and over the last 8 years (!!) have built the most amazing community of people. The social aspect is really important to me, as is the time I get outside of the home, to myself. But the actual act of climbing and the flow state required to do this well forces me to shut off the more overactive side of my brain. Plus, you’re basically problem solving while staying physically active. Funny TV shows also help me break out of low moods (I understand that this isn’t the same as actually being depressed). I’ve enjoyed both seasons of Platonic and also Margo’s Got Money Troubles (although I loved the book more).

For a delightful laugh check out Rima Parikh! She doesn’t have a huge amount of material on youtube but I have watched it over and over… “I’m not better than you – I too have… flaw” She has a bit about OCD therapy vs regular therapy that is so good.

For me, it’s being with other people who care about me. The antidote to anxiety isn’t peace and quiet—it’s community. That and a really good song up loud on headphones.

Just wanna say, Jo, do not underestimate the power of perimenopause to ratchet up anxiety that has previously been manageable. When mine (my perimenopause) really got going around 46/47 I truly thought I was losing my mind- much more labile, much less ability to control my reactions, it was truly bananas. It makes you “appreciate” puberty all over again. I went on HRT and increased my SSRI and it helped, but I was so utterly out of my depth. Since then, I hear more and more similar stories from peers. It’s a spiritual portal, but like most portals, it ain’t easy to go through. On the other side, there’s hormonal stability (yay! -and vaginal dryness- not there quite yet).

Getting outside always helps me. When that isn’t possible, aroma therapy (especially lavender) and a journal session – get it on paper and write about it until you are bored of it can take the edge off. Also, just lean extra hard into anything that makes you feel like you’re taking care of yourself.

I’ve been having a ton of anxiety. My son just turned 17. He’s my one and only and his father and I have been divorced for 10yrs. I’m not sure what life is going to look like in the next 5yrs and as exciting as that can be it’s also a weird place at my age where it feels like everyone is settling into life. I live in Los Angeles and I’m not sure I really see myself growing old here. Sigh. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/15/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-pema-chodron.html?campaign_id=297&emc=edit_aud_20260515&instance_id=175647&nl=audio&regi_id=85671279&segment_id=219913&user_id=46fd20cd4f4609e9ea743ec601689997 This has help some.

I discovered Maybelline and Christian Perez, who call themselves LoveSoReal, on TikTok during lockdown. Christian is an unschooled comic genius. He was a warehouse supervisor and entertained his relatives by impersonating his wife. They started posting their stuff on TikTok and now they vlog full time. Not everything they post is genius, but if you look at the #ActingLikeWife menu, you will find some real gems. Another guaranteed laugh is Sheena Melwani and TRID. Sheena is a just OK singer with aspirations, and her husband is a high powered lawyer who is just savagely funny. They have a whole series of videos of her singing pop tunes and him yelling at her in the background. {Sheena {singing}: “why do you have to be so rude? I’m going to marry her anyway.” TRID: “Because you’re not Indian. Come back with PhD. Not in poetry.”} I also love watching YouTube clips of Whose Line is it Anyway.

Calm sleep stories. 10/10 would recommend And, magnesium spray/balm at bedtime. And sometimes sleep headphones when I’m too amped up and need to listen to white noise for a reset to go to sleep (or to drown out my husbands snoring).

Okay if you need to laugh and have anxiety the perfect antidote is the movie What About Bob? with Bill Murray. So many hilarious scenes and relevant quotes!

FAMILY DINNER TV!!!! Without a doubt this web series on YouTube is the gosh darn funniest thing I have watched this year. Episodes are about five minutes long but you won’t stop at one. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t98rJqsNDls&ra=m

I work in an academic library. Every Thursday, the entire library staff meets on the cozy couches at 9:30 am with our tea or coffee and we have fika (inspired by the “Swedish Death Cleaning” TV show). Every single Thursday morning, we are all laughing together — whether sharing a sweet misunderstanding from a college student, a funny story that happened to someone, a ridiculous memo from administration, you name it. Last week, we were brainstorming new ideas and got a little ridiculous with ideas for a Spicy Section of the library (this is not really happening, to be clear). Fika is balm for the soul, and nobody ever misses it because it’s so fun.

news bloopers on YouTube, especially this one- https://youtu.be/WGtuk534f8o?si=k6i9_-mgU6ZqukDU

Beautiful photo. Your sons gaining their young man face, I have to look to make who it is. But you, you don’t look like you are aging at all. The clip, while funny, makes me sad the way they treat her.

The thing that has helped my anxiety the most has been working with a mindfulness therapist who told me to stop trying to relax it away! Anxious about flying? Watch an exciting movie—not a scary flying movie, of course, but something that meets the energy instead of suppressing it. Also thinking of what’s behind the anxiety which, for me, is fear, and then combatting that not with trying to relax or be calm but with being brave. Yes, the world is so scary. But I can face it with courage and then lighten it all up with joy and humor when I’m ready. Someone mentioned the If Books Could Kill podcast and since they’re often joking hilariously about/providing research to combat things that annoy me, it’s a good combo of f this energy and humor to help me bounce into courage rather than fear. Onward, you know?

My fav SNL sketch ever – Adam Sandler’s Romano Tours https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbwlC2B-BIg In addition to it’s hilarity, he has an excellent quote at the end ‘A day is along time to be happy – for all of it. Most of us get 45 minutes at most’

Sometimes all those little steps that we’re told to try to combat our anxiety , Iwonderifthey are like all the lies coke told us about their recycling of plastic. Keep us feeling like it’s something we’re doing wrong. It’s not you, you are just fine the way you are. Instead how about we turn on the narcissists who make this world a place we want to medicate ourself so we can survive it. – And no, I have no idea how to actually turn on the powers that be, but hating them, instead of hating ourselves might be a start. Also, read those japanese books like ‘Everything you are looking for is in the library’…

(Adding another vote for HRT and a magnesium glycinate supplement before bed! That helped my nighttime anxiety a lot.) As a mom to a teen, I’m a sucker for all the Instagram content about text messages from teens and then parent POVs from club volleyball tournaments. The collective parent eye roll is like a big ol’ group hug. I love all the SNL sketches already shared and will add my current favorite, Pedro Pascal waking up from a coma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GEWSNylwS8

Gorgeous photo of you and your son!!

Usually my condition is depressive/melancholic, and my meds work pretty well for that, but lately…yikes. :( I just started watching the 2026 Chelsea Flower Show (on Britbox, but I’ve also seen it on YouTube). Just an explosion of beauty, solace, lovely people discussing lovely things with lovely accents. It is a true balm for the soul! I’ve been listening (for a long time now) to the !0% Happier podcast, with Dan Harris (the news anchor who had a public panic attack on live tv and has since become an advocate and educator for meditation, Buddhism, and general good mental health practices). Do I meditate, uhm no, not much. Do I enjoy his guests, his gentle humor, his self effacing bravery about his own flaws and conditions, very much so. It is always soothing, always calming, and I learn a lot in an extremely gentle way. And lastly, I just started keeping a “cold crunch bowl” in the fridge. Radishes, carrots, celery, sturdy baby cucumbers, diced up. I rarely have the time or energy to make a proper salad except for dinner. But with this on hand, I can pour it out, dress it quick (lemon, olive oil) and have this instantly cool little meal in my hands, which will definitely make me feel better than the crunchy potatoe chips that are screaming at me across the room. I do not eat enough vegs during the day, EVER. But now my weird little forever bowl of chopped up cold stuff, just waiting for me, is helping!

I’m biased as a Yorkshire-phile (not sure this word exists) BUT – I can recommend the remake of All Creatures Great and Small. It’s like stepping into a warm bath. I love it.

I don’t get my preteens’ love of “fail videos” — I’m too worried that someone got hurt or too cynical to think it was really an accident. BUT! This subtle foreshadowing video? Oh man, just thinking about it makes me laugh out loud. https://www.tiktok.com/@paigeee.xx2/video/7432653206154530080

Robby Hoffman’s bit about growing up poor with one towel brings me + my hb to the floor laughing. She’s a stand up comedian, and also the roommate in Rooster. Joanna, I’m sorry to hear about increased anxiety! Ugh, it’s the worst. I’ve worked a lot on anxiety bc I have to take cortisol, which makes the (my) body feel like it has ingested 560934698 cups of coffee in a submarine. What helps me the most is to welcome it in! Notice it, talk to yourself about how it’s here, like any other uncomfortable emotion, and that eventually it will move along. Also, experiencing panic in therapy over the feeling the cortisol brings, and then describing the panic made it evaporate for good. And when bits of anxiety show up, it no longer frightens me. xox

The biggest thing that helped (and continues to help) my panic disorder was CBT and exposure therapy. As for things that make me laugh – clips of the Graham Norton Show, especially anything with Miriam Margolyes!!

The latest Maintenance Phase episode is a crossover with If Books Could Kill. They take town the tech bro douche canoe Tim Ferris and it’s hilarious. https://www.maintenancephase.com/

Subway Takes is my go-to watch when I need something short, entertaining, and immediate. For anxiety: a couple of weeks ago, videos from the channel below were playing in a doctor’s office, and I found focusing on the shapes and images while box breathing to be immensely helpful (vs. just doing the breathing alone). https://www.resetjpmc.com/reset-library

Oh my god – comedian Gilli Apter’s ‘Add a baby’ stand-up sketch. Google it or search on insta. It had me weeping, AND it’s a very useful strategy for stressful and anxious moments!!

I still laugh out loud when I re-watch the covid-era video of the dad being interviewed on live TV and his toddler barges into his office, followed by the baby on wheels, and then his wife/the mom rushing in to marshal them out. Hahahaha – cracking up as I describe it!!! Here’s to peace and giggles, people – xo

I save the IG videos that make me laugh the hardest and go back to them all the time. Keeping yourself safe at night by dancing the hand jive? Just amazing. Grease https://www.instagram.com/p/DXmqOjPtCve/ Theragun https://www.instagram.com/p/DXu4dfEDEfe/ Designated Driver https://www.instagram.com/p/DX97lYOJuWq/

Recently had a flare up that felt like anxiety and POTS-like symptoms (lightheaded upon standing, feeling low blood sugar even though I just ate, etc). My functional dietician identified this may be triggered by toxin/mold exposure, and put me on binders. It’s remarkable how much my system has calmed. Our world is so full of toxins and sometimes what seems like a mental/emotional problem might have roots in something more physical that can be reversed. Hope this might help someone whose body is also struggling to thrive in the unnatural environments we find ourselves in so often today.

I have been grateful all week to the COJ commenter who recommended “Shoresy” last week as an “underrated” show. OH MY GOSH, I haven’t laughed so much in months (years?)! I don’t typically enjoy media with such crass/foul humor, but he is so endearing. I’ve been walking around work all day with a dopey smile on my face after watching a compilation youtube this morning of certain moments. For anyone wondering – it’s like Ted Lasso but with Canadian pro hockey (lowest division) and the foulest, funniest language.

I read that cortisol levels are highest when you wake up, because cortisol is a component of you waking up. I experimented by getting sunlight on my face and drinking water when i woke up to mitigate feeling dehydrated and to try and counteract the cortisol. It’s been very helpful.

One word (ok 3) Hormone replacement Therapy. Mid 40s and thought I was losing my mind. dottie patch ( bioidentical estrogen available through OBGYN, took a few rounds of adjustment) and oral progesterone and progesterone IUD for contraception. I finally feel like myself again. Tried oral birth control never feel right on it, this is 100% better. Read the Power of Hormones By Dr Newson – perimenopause and menopause specialist/ physician in the Uk and talk to your OBGYN. The link between perimenapause and mental health (and many other symptoms and metabolic changes) is strong and under recognized.

My go-to is still 20 year old reruns of American’s Funniest Videos. The pratfalls and mishaps are completely organic because it took real effort to film anything in daily life (unlike now, when everybody is trying to perform and be cute on purpose, which I have no patience for), so most of it is truly belly-laugh funny. I find eps all the time on those retro-tv antenna channels and they are worth a 30-minute sit-down break.

Anxiety is a very well documented symptom in perimenopause. Either dropping estrogen, or increasingly wild fluctuations in estrogen age thought to be culprits. The pod cast Ovary Reactive is a great resource. My anxiety tool box is very full: Running Hot tub Push ups, other lifting Hikes Dogs Drugs, esp cannabis Breathing deeply Looking at the sky Music And on really rough days “come get me Audrey “. My friend will come get me. Tell me all the people that love me. Remind me i always feel better. That I have plenty of reason to feel anxious. That I’m not alone and this will indeed pass.

I’ve been watching Widow’s Bay on apple tv and it has me laughing out loud every time! It’s from a writer of Parks and Rec and has a lot of the same sensibility. It is legitimately scary but also makes me laugh so hard. Highly recommend!

The biggest thing that helped my anxiety was listening to it. I think of intense emotions like anxiety as messengers urging me to change my behavior. My anxiety would often surge when I did something out of alignment with my values. For example, I used to pursue friendships past their expiration date and beg for scraps, even though I valued self respect. I’d send long texts which I later realized were attempts to try to extract love from a friend who didn’t want to offer it, then feel anxious. Once I stopped doing that, my anxiety stopped. My anxiety also used to warn me to quit a bad job, leave a toxic boyfriend, stop oversharing, or stop procrastinating after I missed deadlines I promised to keep, in the form of racing thoughts or crippling self doubt. This is just my experience. I know for some anxiety can be a chemical imbalance. But for me, listening to it changed my life.

My husband and I watch old 30min. episodes of sitcoms that we loved, like Frazier, Seinfeld, etc. last thing before calling it a night. Even if you remember parts, still funny and a nice end to any kind of day.

If you like Pen15 – check out Kroll Show. So many good skits. “Publizity” ones with Jenny Slate are spot on Bravo spoofs.

We record the late night comedians’ monologues every night and watch next day. Love Jon Stewart. He makes me laugh. I love how he is so funny throughout his monologue and then gets dead serious at the end. He’s my favorite, then Colbert.

As a lifelong anxious person who just got out of a very bad spell (as in, went to the hospital), this trick from Martha Beck’s book Beyond Anxiety has really been helping me. When you feel the anxiety building in your body—for me, that’s usually in my stomach—don’t fight it off. Instead, imagine it as a cute baby forest creature you want to soothe and protect. Talk to the creature/anxiety in a soothing voice, let it know it can stay as long as it likes, and you’ll do everything you can to take care of it. This flips the switch in your brain from thinking of the anxiety as a threat to considering it as something needs caretaking, which greatly dials back the cortisol/flight-or-fight response. (Essentially, this is the basis of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, the gold standard for anxiety care.) I’ve been imagining my anxiety as an adorable baby bunny who just needs me to be gentle with her and I can honestly say it’s helped shorten the anxiety spirals and keep some at bay.

The Straightiolab podcast always has me chuckling, especially the recent episode “Jason Bourne-ing” with Bobby Finger.

Who else has seen the guy who accidentally walked through a fashion show on his way to a beach in Australia? It made me laugh, but I’m also trying to channel his confidence. DO YOU!

So many wonderful tools already mentioned! But as a life long anxious person, only in the last few years have I learned that anxiety, for me, is often a place holder for bigger emotions I don’t realize I’m suppressing. It helps me in an anxious moment to ask myself, do I really just need to cry?

Thank you to the mama who recommended the Chit Show! I started with the computer hack episode as recommended, and my family and I are hooked! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fnfQdKmO_QQ&ra=m

I just learned an exercise where you lie down and tense muscles for 10s or more, depending on the stress you feel there. While you do that you visualize physically fighting the thing that stresses you out. After the tensing you relax mindfully and move on to the next from toes to head. It’s from the Nagoski sisters, I hope I explained correctly. Taking melatonin before sleep helps the next day too, but probably because it eases my depressive feelings.

I’ve been going through extra anxiety recently as I am moving, dealing with some emotional stress and back pain. Randomly I stumbled upon a YouTube guy named Dylan

Loving all the links to the funny things! I will note that one of the absolute best side effects of getting sober has been the dramatic reduction in my anxiety. I’m 3.5 years alcohol free and it has felt like layer upon layer of anxiety being stripped off every few months.

If ever I need a laugh, I scroll through Roz Chast cartoons https://condenaststore.com/collections/roz+chast. Works every time!