Laughter is Medicine!

Laughter is powerful. It’s healing for your brain and body!

We can't talk about body language, “self nudges,” and “body-mind connections” without mentioning laughter. Dr. Lee Berk has extensively studied the physiological benefits of laughter. His research shows that laughter reduces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline while boosting feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins. This chemical shift helps counteract anxiety and enhances our feeling of overall well-being. Clinical psychologist Dr. Christina Hibbert notes that laughter boosts immunity, lowers stress and fosters a sense of joy, making it a valuable tool for mental health. 

Grace Tworek, a health psychologist, says most Americans today are living in a constant fight or flight response. Our minds and bodies are made to live in a peaceful, confident sense of well-being. Fight or flight is supposed to be short-lived; to aid us in escape when we are truly in danger. Many of us have gotten used to the high cortisol feeling of being in a perpetual fight or flight. Just because this is what we are used to does not mean it is normal. We have to help our bodies return to rest and recover.

Laughter to the rescue! Laughter is truly one of the best medicines, as I read in an article called Why Laughter is Good for You by Cleveland Clinic, and I totally agree. It's amazing how something as simple as a good laugh can have so many benefits for our bodies. 

Here's why laughter is so awesome:

1. Parasympathetic Power: When you laugh, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is all about rest, digestion, and relaxation. 

2. Stress Buster: Laughter decreases stress hormones, helping you feel more relaxed. 

3. Heart Health: It reduces artery inflammation, increases good cholesterol, and improves blood flow, all of which lower the risk of heart attacks. 

4. Easy Breathing: Your heart rate lowers, and you breathe more easily when you laugh.

The journalist Norman Cousins detailed his experience with a debilitating illness and his use of humor in his book Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins famously used laughter therapy as part of his treatment, watching humorous movies to alleviate his pain and anxiety. 

Next time you need a pick-me-up, watch some funny video shorts, hang out with friends who make you laugh. Your body will thank you for the endorphin rush! 

Laughter Exercise (it really is good medicine).

According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter has short-term and long-term benefits.

Short-term benefits of laughter:

• Enhances oxygen intake to your heart, lungs, and muscles, stimulating internal organs and increasing endorphins.

• Activates and relieves your stress response: Laughing fires up and then cools down your stress response. This increase, then decrease in your heart rate and blood pressure results in a relaxed feeling. 

• Stimulates circulation, which aids muscle relaxation and soothes tension.

  
  

 Long-term benefits of laughter:

• Improves your immune system: Negative thoughts create chemical reactions that negatively affect your body and decrease your immunity. Positive thoughts actually release neuropeptides, which fight stress and boost your immune system. 

• Reduces artery inflammation and increases HDL (the good cholesterol) (PubMed- Effects of Mirthful Laughter on the Human Cardiovascular System. M Miller MD, William F. Fry MD).

• Relieves pain: Laughter causes the body to produce endogenous opioids (the body’s natural painkillers).

• Increases personal satisfaction: Laughter can make it easier to cope with challenging situations, and helps you connect with others.

• Improves your mood: Laughter can lessen stress, depression, and anxiety, making you feel happier. It can also improve feelings of self-esteem. 

Laughter Therapy

In laughter therapy, people usually get together in a group and take turns trying out different types of laughs, adding body movements to bring them to life. It’s a fun and surprisingly powerful way to lift your mood and ease anxiety or depression, according to Chel Cartmill, a master transition and relationship coach and author of ReClaim.

Here's a hype fact: Experts say that your brain can't tell the difference between real laughter and pretend laughter after just 20 seconds. So even if you start off faking it, it'll soon turn into real laughter! And get this, 15 minutes of laughter therapy is equivalent to a 10-minute jog or doing 200 sit-ups.

That's a workout I’ll do! 😊