By John Dettmer, D.C.
Whether you are laughing at the latest episode of Mike and Molly or giggling at Modern Family, laughter is good for you. It’s a great form of stress release and that’s no joke.
Everyone should learn some type of stress relief techniques. Too much stress often causes anxiety and even depression. There are so many types of stress in our daily lives and it’s tough to know how to deal with it effectively.
There are several things you can do that don’t cost anything but a little effort.
Laugh out loud. Laughter is often better than almost any other medicine. And, there is scientific evidence to support this fact. Countless studies show that a good chuckle bolsters pain tolerance by escalating the release of endorphins (the body’s “feel good” hormones). Laughter also helps to suppress the production of the hormones cortisol and adrenalin. More importantly, the only side effect from laughter is a sense of contentment and well being.
A strong immune system is crucial in keeping you healthy. SpinalCare Physical Medicine staff can provide you with a wealth of immune boosting information on nutrition, exercise and regular physical medicine treatments. At the same time, it’s important to know that laughter also has a positive effect on the immune system by helping to diminish inflammation in the body.
Giggles can help you age more gracefully. According to a study conducted in Korea in 2011 participants in the laughter therapy group showed significant improvement compared to those in the control group.
A total of 109 people over the age of 65 took part in the trial. The first set of volunteers was placed in a laughter therapy group that met four times over a month period. The remaining participants served as the control group.
Before and after the trial month members were assessed for depression, cognitive function, quality of life and sleep quality. The authors of the study concluded that laughter was useful, cost-effective and an easily accessible means of creating positive effects on depression, insomnia and sleep quality in the elderly.
Laughter enhances creativity and helps people forget their problems. It gives us a way to understand and cope with reality while it helps ease depression and even prevent it. When we laugh, glands like the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are normalized. These glands produce hormones associated with mental well being.
A rollicking laugh fires up and cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. It can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation both of which help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.
Laughter isn’t just a quick pick-me-up. It’s good over the long haul. It can relieve pain, increase personal satisfaction, improve your mood and improve the immune system.
Just give it a try. Once you’ve had a good chuckle check yourself to see how you feel. Are your muscles less tense? Are you more relaxed?
Don’t worry if it’s hard at first. Laughter can be learned. Simply put it on your horizon. Find a funny cartoon or saying and hang it up at your desk or on your fridge. Keep funny movies on hand for when you need a humor boost.
Find a way to laugh about your own situations and your stress will begin to fade. Even if it feels forced at first, keep practicing. It gets easier. Share a laugh with a friend. Make it a habit to spend time with people who make you laugh.
It really is the best medicine. Just give it a try.