How Laughter Benefits You
This article discusses the physical, psychological and general benefits of laughter and gives 4 tips for getting the most from laughter.
Laughter has physical, emotional, psychological and general benefits.
The classic benefits of laughter come from the endorphins that are released when we laugh and smile. Endorphins are our body’s natural painkillers and the act of laughing and smiling triggers this release. However, there are other physical benefits.
On this physical level, laughter stimulates our cardiovascular and pulmonary systems by giving our hearts and lungs a vigorous workout. As journalist and authors, Norman Cousins said, ‘Laughter is internal jogging’.
It stimulates blood flow, oxygenates our blood and energises our whole physical system even if we’re hospitalised. The US doctor Patch Adams has been using it professionally for years.
Its endorphin-triggering effect makes laughter a strong painkiller for emotional and mental pain, as well as physical. It has been proven that higher levels of pain can be readily tolerated and the healing process is speeded up. Both the Norman Cousins experience, described in his classic best seller ‘Anatomy of an Illness’, and the RX Laughter project with children in UCLA hospital in Los Angeles provide the evidence.
What Are The Psychological Benefits Of Laughter?
Philosopher and psychologist, William James said, ‘We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we’re happy because we laugh’.
Psychologically, laughter is the antithesis of depression. If we’re feeling any anxiety, it is an excellent antidote. In fact, in 2002 in Austria Dr Koutek started using the sound of spontaneous group laughter as part of his treatment for patients with depression. In the Bristol laughter club there are countless examples of people whose lives have benefitted from the ‘lightness’ that laughter induces. People’s faces change, their body language and posture become more open and relaxed, their communication becomes more playful and spontaneous. Even the simple smiling exercise based on the 1988 F. Strack, L.L. Martin and S. Stepper’s pencil exercise produces lasting results. All you need do is smile genuinely three times a day for at least 10-15 seconds and this transforms some people’s lives.
What Are The Other Benefits of Laughter
Laughter and playfulness unlock our natural creativity. Creativity is an essential part of every life, let alone a fun-filled one. As Greek philosopher, Plato said, ‘You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than a year of conversation.’
Laughter and playfulness help develop neuroplasticity, our brain’s learning ability, and so strengthen mental flexibility and resilience. Because of this - as we see in Martin Seligman’s Positive Psychology - optimism, positivity and happiness become learnable skills.
The practice of yogic laughter is also an effective mindfulness practice as laughter brings our attention into the present moment. On the self-development path, for both personal and professional benefits, the practice of laughter is the practice of joyfulness.
In short, we learn to become happier, more resilient and more effective.
Ancient traditions as well as new ones encourage us to practice laughing - with a sense of willingness. What ancient traditions intuited and experienced, and neuroplasticity shows, is a practice of learning new skills until they become second nature. Willingness is the key ingredient to overcome any internal obstacle we create for ourselves.
Current thinking is that it might take only 21 days to learn this practice, as in the Chopra 21-day meditation challenge. The key ingredients are single-mindedness, perseverance and tenacity to keep going until you become aware of the differences in your life.
There are numerous recent psychological studies which show the beneficial impact of smiling especially when this is the genuine ‘Duchenne’ smile which uses the involuntary orbicularis oculi muscles. This genuine smile encourages an empathetic response and consequently stimulates sociability.
Top Tips For Getting The Benefits Of Laughter
Top tips to laugh more include:
- Look for laughter and laughter will find you. Look for as many opportunities to smile and laugh in your day, and importantly, communicate them. Not only will you feel better, you will also be encouraging a positive ripple in others too.
- If it will be funny later, it’s funny now. Often we look back and laugh at things. Can you laugh at them now instead?
- Start your day with a laugh. This is both a Zen and a Hawaiian practice. No matter what yesterday delivered, start today with a chuckle, a kinesthetic version of a positive affirmation. Why? You get the endorphins. You may then feel more upbeat and better equipped for your day ahead. It’s worth remembering, when you’re feeling really rough, that’s the time you need our endorphins most.
- Fake it till you make it. Feeling grumpy? Sluggish? Irritable? When you’re ready to change your mood, smile and laugh, even if you don’t yet feel like it. Your system will release endorphins anyway because it can’t tell the difference between the real joyful laugh and a fake one. The key is your willingness.
Summary
The net benefits of yogic laughter, or laughter practices, include promoting your overall wellness, improving your communication and connection skills, and developing creative, flexible thinking.
As with all practices, yogic laughter is also learnable. You can re-train your brain to become a healthier, happier more effective individual.
This article is contributed by Total Wellness Club and written by Joe Hoare. To find out more about Joe Hoare click here
