Laughing at inappropriate moments: you're not alone

There you are… at that funeral, suddenly bursting into laughter. Shit. Of course, you don't mean it in a bad way, but try explaining that to the people you accidentally offend. Laughing at times when it is absolutely inappropriate, the subject intrigues me. I already described yesterday an awkward situation in which it happened to me, today a step-by-step plan on how to counter it.

Step 1: Understand when it is inappropriate to laugh

Yeah, yeah, they say laughter is the best medicine, but when the occasion is serious, others may not appreciate your laughter right away. Typical moments when it is not okay to laugh are:

• at a funeral
• during the exchange of vows at a wedding
• at a car accident, physical injury, or the moment of death
• at jokes that humiliate people.
• when layoffs happen at work.

(most of you are probably thinking: yeah duh, but I can't help but laugh at this list, so you see: it's a serious problem for some...)

Step 2: Check if others are laughing or not

Is that not happening? Then there is a reason for that. Do you see someone else laughing at an inappropriate moment and that person is getting sideways glances from everyone? Keep as much distance as possible, because inappropriate laughter is disgustingly contagious.

Step 3: Think of something – pardon my French – f***ing scary

Take the scariest horror scene from that movie you really shouldn't have seen in your head and picture the girl from The Ring crawling up your stairs at night with wet hair. Think about how she drags you out of bed. Or think of something else that you find intensely scary. It has been proven that this works because the adrenaline (the fear hormone) released in your brain with these thoughts will block the endorphins (the happiness or pleasure hormone).

Step 3: Pinch yourself

So that you are distracted (just like you have an awful itch from that mosquito bite) or try to cause another strong physical sensation, like gently biting your cheek or pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth and then slightly closing your mouth at the same time. If you're lucky, that laugh will just fade away from your thoughts.

Step 4: Pretend there is something stuck in your teeth

Open your mouth wide and pretend you are trying to remove something that is stuck. This way, you hide your smile and if people see it, they will just think you are struggling and laugh out of frustration.

Step 5: The cough technique

If none of the above works? Then you still have the cough technique. At the moment when it really can't be held back anymore, quickly cover your mouth with your hand and start coughing. Excuse yourself immediately and leave the room or go to the bathroom.

If it still doesn't work: just be honest and tell them laughingly that you have a laughing problem. Bet that you'll infect more people and that it suddenly won't be so bad anymore?