How to Stop Giggling at Inappropriate Times

There are times when your laughter is not called for, especially in some serious situations. It is not easy to kill your urge to laugh. However, if you burst out laughing you might end up offending someone and make a fool of yourself. Here are a few tricks to conceal your laughter in grave situations, you might want to have a look at and use them cleverly.

☻ Avoid eye contact with your colleagues if you are sitting in a meeting because inopportune laughter can be infectious. Also try to remind yourself about the situation you are in and tell yourself it is not a laughable situation. It will help you maintain a more serious behavior.

☻ Another trick that works best is pinching yourself, biting your lower lip or your inner cheeks. Causing this kind of strong physical sensation could act as a distraction and help you in beating the urge to laugh out loudly. Bite it gently though.

☻ Disguise your laughing fit with a coughing fit. Pretend as if you are coughing when you are just about to squeeze out a laugh. Cover your mouth by putting your hands over them and move away from the crowd. Be careful of not holding your breath as that can emit an even louder laugh.

☻ On occasions like a funeral, when people sing whilst crying, drifting away off key, you can't help but laugh. Not that you are mean or being mean, just that it is inappropriate yet funny at the same time. In situations like this cover your face with a handkerchief or your hands and pretend that you are crying.

☻ If nothing works the best thing is to excuse yourself and move away from the serious situation. Politely make an excuse and leave the room for a few minutes, smirk privately, take a few deep breaths then return to the room.

☻ Although yawning is an involuntary action, one can easily fake it. Trust me it works, with yawning you can easily overcome your urge to laugh easily. Moreover, while you yawn you get to cover your mouth! Caution: don't make your yawning look like you are not interested, it might be all the more offensive than laughing.

☻ Divert your attention! While you are in a meeting, there might arise an urge to laugh which is not called for, but you still have to follow professional etiquette. In such cases shift the focus! Stare out of the window or think about anything bizarre until the urge goes away.

☻ You can also open your mouth wide and let the laughter out silently without even smiling. It seems very stupid, but it works and saves you from the embarrassment of laughing in an odd situation.

☻ If there is a paper or book lying in front of you, pick it up; pretend as if you are reading it and laugh it out. For example if you are sitting at the airport and somebody slips down, you cannot control but laugh (unless she is badly hurt, go to her rescue in that case) in that case this tip can be used to avoid embarrassment.

☻ Those who hate maths, this probably is the last thing you would want to do. Yet it works, do a multiplication table in your head. Pick up the toughest one, for that will not only divert your attention but you will also have to do some mental calculations if you are not good at them.

Don't be guilty for wanting to laugh. Laughing at a situation like this doesn't really make you a mean or callous person, it just means you couldn't control your laughter at the moment. It's a human emotion and in case your laughter is detected, apologize sincerely and explain you didn't do it to cause any offense or hurt anybody's feelings.