The best way to avoid laughing when you’re anxious is to develop coping strategies to make social interactions more comfortable for you. There are plenty of preventive measures and physical tricks that you can use to calm your body.
If you’re laughing because you picture something funny when people talk, don’t know what to say, or find yourself daydreaming, work on your listening skills and focus on the conversation to avoid laughing.
It can be hard to focus on listening when there are a ton of distractions. Sticking with one-on-one conversations will help limit the amount of background noise so you can focus on the interaction.
Seeing a psychiatrist and engaging in talk therapy can help you cope with the symptoms of IEED. In extreme cases, doctors may prescribe antidepressants to calm your emotional responses and manage the symptoms of the disorder.
If you don’t want people to notice that you’re doing this, bend down and act like you’re tying your shoe or turn away and act like you’re responding to a text message.
Pinching yourself is a great way to avoid laughing at inappropriate or serious comments that don’t merit laughter. Instead of pinching yourself, you can bite your lip or curl your toes before leaning forward on them.
You can do this on either of your hands—it won’t make much of a difference. You can also do this on both hands if you prefer. This is a trick used to stop the gagging impulse if you feel like you might throw up. Activating your arm muscles tenses your chest at the same time, making it harder for your body to contract as you laugh or gag. This makes it a great way to prevent anxious laughter.
This is a great choice if you’re in a social setting where other people are talking in front of you. It won’t do much help if you’re engaged in a private conversation though, since you’ll be expected to respond at some point and have to maintain focus.
This is not necessarily the best choice if you’re in a professional setting where you aren’t supposed to be fidgeting. You can also tap your fingers on something if you don’t have a random item in your pocket.
This is a great choice if you’re in a situation where you are only supposed to be listening, like if you’re watching a movie or attending a lecture.
Many of the people who do this laugh to show that they’re engaged because they’re subconsciously nervous about being excluded from a conversation. This tends to be a combination of anxiety and poor listening. Incorporate tricks from both methods if you have an issue with both types of laughter. If you want a nonverbal option, consciously nod a little after someone finishes talking.
This is a great trick if you find yourself daydreaming while people talk. This can also help you avoid laughing at inappropriate or innocuous comments.
For example, if someone is talking about their sick dog and they say, “The vet thinks that Fluffy will be okay, but I’m not sure,” ask, “What aren’t you sure about?” or say, “Well, I hope Fluffy is okay. He’s a good dog. ” This way, you’re participating instead of observing the conversation.
