Illustration by Sophie Benbelaid

Autumn is dead. As the nights draw in and the days become much shorter, it is particularly easy to feel blue, especially as we enter Oxford’s infamous fifth week. Fear not, in a rogue attempt to prove that a Stem student can in fact string together a few sentences, I will present the case of the power comedy has to bring light into our lives and how to use it to combat the stresses an Oxford degree brings. An article in The Blue about combating the blues – how ironic.

As colleges across town begin to open their doors to alpacas, dust off the craft sets, and organise G+D’s trips, there is no time like the present to talk about student mental health. According to Mind around 20% of current students are dealing with issues surrounding psychological well being . Not for one second am I going to claim that watching The Inbetweeners will cure depression, nor Friends alleviate anxiety, but I believe that little actions can have a massive impact on your mental health and those around you. They say laughter is contagious for a reason!

Boring bit incoming… I am a scientist, after all, so it would be criminal for me not to mention the studies on health and comedy. It has been scientifically proven that laughter decreases the levels of stress hormones in the blood serum whilst facilitating the secretion of the so-called “feel-good” hormones, known as endorphins, which help to sooth the mind, facilitate the relaxation of the body, and improve both your heart and brain health. In recent years laughter has even been considered an alternative therapy to improve mood and combat poor mental health. Scientist’s lab coat is coming off now! 

Comedy has the power to unite people and help pull them through tough times. Humour can help foster emotional connections and spark positivity, resulting in lasting bonds between you and your friends and family. So what steps can you take to fill your life with laughter? 

It’s true: laughter does begin with a smile… Walking to lectures and smiling at a friend as you pass by can make their day. Like laughter, smiling too is contagious, and can really inspire positivity in others. 

Personally, I believe the best way to increase the amount of comedy in your life is to begin curating a comedy collection: a set of comedians and comedy clips as a go-to for when you may be feeling down. From Peter Kay to Ricky Gervais, there really is such a wide range of comedians to suit everyone’s taste. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry! Each week I’ll share one of my comedy highlights for you to enjoy. 

And so, presenting my comedy of the week:

This week’s recommendation is the brand new Cunk on Earth on the BBC. Through mock interviews with academics (you might even see your tutor!) Cunk provides light and entertaining discussion on topical issues ranging from the history of the ‘Soviet Onion’ (no, that isn’t a typo) to what on earth would Samuel Pepys think of Snapchat. Reminiscent of an awkward tutorial gone south, Cunk on Earth offers some side-splitting gags whilst also making history accessible.  

Thanks for reading. Next week I pose the question: what do you get when you combine a rhetorical question with a joke?