How can you calm your nerves with humor when telling stories?

When you hold your breath, you create tension in your body, which is released as laughter. Manipulating tension to make your audience hold their breath and then burst out laughing is a skill that requires years to master. Start with understanding how to push your punchline to the end of a bit, so that you can master the storytelling STRUCTURE that is the foundation of all other humor skills.

Humor is the best medicine to a human . Humour can be great incorporated while building brand as it helps to Capture attention, and it easily connects you with your Target Audience. One can use Humour in storytelling to greatly attract the readers along with the story line.

In storytelling, humor acts as a powerful tool to connect with the audience, allowing us to laugh (and cry!) at ourselves and, in doing so, disarm everyone else. By injecting humor into serious narratives (disease, death, discrimination...) writers can explore profound themes and complex emotions in a way that is both engaging and relatable. This duality of being serious while playful can break down barriers and create a deeper bond between the storyteller and the listener or reader. As Kurt Vonnegut wrote: "And so it goes". Laughing is a form of catharsis, a cry for help, a way to lighten the burden of what is too heavy to tell and to live.

You can calm your nerves when telling stories by using humor. Adding jokes or funny stories can help you feel more relaxed and make your audience enjoy the storytelling. Humor can lighten the mood, making it easier for you to share your story with confidence. It also creates a connection with your listeners and makes the experience more enjoyable for everyone.

El humor es un unificador de mentes. Así como nos unen las historias, nos une el humor. Las risas compartidas a partir de una historia o comentario, rompen el hielo o la tensión del momento y nos permiten, a los narradores, continuar con más seguridad y frescura. El humor es universal, pero también es importante conocer el público al que nos dirigimos para saber qué tipo de humor podemos usar y, sobre todo, qué tipo de humor no debemos usar.

Two forms of humor that have worked for me are self-deprecation and calling out the "elephant in the room". When self-deprecation is done sans fake modesty, it can be quite endearing. The speaker comes across as vulnerable and approachable. The elephant in the room is something everyone is aware of, but is afraid to say out loud. Provided this is not done in a mean spirited way, it can lighten the atmosphere and encourage open dialogue. One occasion where I was able to combine the two was at a discussion forum where I happened to be the first one to raise my hand when the compere invited people to take the stage. I opened with the line "We all hate speaking in public, but my approach is to raise my hand first and get it over with quickly!"

Humour will not always land and we all have a preferred style humour. It's important be yourself first and foremost, don't force a style on yourself which isn't natural for you. Also, don't expect 100% of the audience to find it funny, that is totally OK!

Preparation is key. Understand your audience and the context to tailor your humor appropriately. Jokes that resonate in one setting might not work in another. Start with relatable, everyday situations, as these often provide the best material. Keep a humor journal where you note funny observations or anecdotes; these can be goldmines for your stories.

Practice with a Smile. Rehearse your story while smiling. It’s amazing how this simple act can trick your brain into feeling more relaxed.

Professional comedians test out jokes with their peers and in front of smaller audiences before adding new material to their act. You can do the same by workshopping your humor with a close friend, colleague or in smaller settings to fine-tune your material.

Test it safely. Run it past your trusted colleagues, friends, family - the people that know you well. Humour is personal, and if you stray too far from your authentic self - then it can work against you.

1. Break the Ice. Start with a light joke or a relatable anecdote. It eases the tension and makes both you and your audience feel more comfortable. 2. Embrace Imperfection. Laugh at yourself. Acknowledging your nerves with a humorous remark can humanize you and create a connection with your audience. 3. Use Funny Examples. Incorporate humorous examples or analogies that relate to your story. It keeps things light and engaging, helping to dissipate anxiety.

Have a safety net! Perfecting humor takes time, and it may not always land. Have a plan B in case that happens and prepare a few actions to follow if your humor fails. You want to be able to calmly accept the audience's reaction (or lack thereof) and continue to move your story forward.

Every joke will not land. That's OK. Having a less-than-stellar performance makes you a better storyteller because you learn how to react in the moment, win back your audience, and increase your win rate for future performances.

Feedback. Being continuously open to it, is crucial for improved use of humour in storytelling. It can come in any form, dependant on your storytelling scenario. Be open to the comments, and reviews. It may give you the chance to change your story there and then, or improve upon the next one.

This requires losing a little bit of love for your own stories, because improving your story requires repeating it, and repeating your story requires a steely heart. Only then can you start thinking of modulation and restructuring to improve the impact of your humor. Practice, practice, practice - every performance is just another session of practice.

Humor is fun. An audience can tell when you're having a good time or when you're dreading a performance. Bring a positive energy to your story and be human. The audience is rooting for you and wants you to succeed, and they want to have a good time too.

Humour is a good ice breaker. People tend to loosen up a little in tense situations & serious atmosphere if healthy jokes are cracked. It helps people breathe. Likewise, if/ when the audience look intimidating, cracking good jokes can bring smiles on their faces or the whole place could erupt in laughter, breaking the wall in between the storyteller & the audience. Thus, humour can calm nerves of both the storyteller as well as the audience. Think of ways to incorporate humour without hurting anyone's sentiments. Risky humour can do more harm than good! Now, how to use humour to one's advantage? If it comes naturally to us, we can improvise depending in the situation. If humour doesn't come easy then we need to practise & prepare beforehand

By infusing light-hearted moments or witty anecdotes into your narrative, you can alleviate tension and create a more relaxed atmosphere. For example, sharing a humorous mishap or self-deprecating joke can help you connect with the audience on a personal level and ease any nervousness. Additionally, laughter releases endorphins, which can reduce stress and anxiety, allowing you to deliver your story with confidence and charisma.