Laughter is a Medicine

“If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane.”  — Jimmy Buffet, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

Laughing feels good. There are few things better than experiencing something that hits your funny bone so hard you are wiping tears from your eyes. Temporary situational escape via laughing is great on its own, but laughter also has long lasting-health benefits.

Humor – and a sense of it – has been proven to be good for you. Studies focused on improving mental health highlight laughter with positive results. Laughing can mitigate the effects of stress and can also alter dopamine and serotonin activity, which helps alleviate depression¹. Further studies point to a significant reduction in cortisol levels (i.e. stress response) in groups undergoing surprised laugh therapy². Couples who share positive experiences, marked with humor and affection, live longer and healthier lives than their bickering peers³. Basically, those who laugh together, stay together. Unsurprisingly, laughter is also proven to help improve sleep⁴.

Obviously, we respect the fact that there are serious scenarios in life, and laughter cannot and will not always be the answer. But when possible, work more laughter into your life. Strike a balance of finding the joy and humor in every day. Engage in your own version of laughter therapy via hilarious podcasts, shows, books, and/or movies⁵. Look for opportunities to bring humor to others. Try bookmarking your day with humor, in both the morning and evening. A laugh a day just might help keep the doctor away.

Action: Find some humor every day this week.

Further Reading:

1. Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review
2. Laughter as medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies evaluating the impact of spontaneous laughter on cortisol levels
3. Sweet Vibes Between Longtime Couples Are Tied to Longer, Healthier Lives
4. Effects of Laughter Therapy on Depression and Sleep among Patients at Long-term Care Hospitals
5. How Laughter Therapy Can Help with Stress, Sleep, and Beyond