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Laughter is a great form of stress relief. With help from the Mayo Clinic, here’s how it works in your body in the short and long term.
Short-term Benefits of Laughter
Besides improving your mood, laughter actually induces physical responses in your body. It can:
- Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
- Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response. It can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in a relaxed state. Laughter can also boost T cells, which help improve your immune system response and function.
- Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.
Long-term Effects of Laughter
Laughter is also good for you long-term. Laughter may:
- Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body, by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.
- Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
- Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people.
- Improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier.
Where Can I Find This Beneficial Laughter While Sheltering in Place?
If there was ever a time for a little stress reducing laughter, it is right now. Humor is such a personal preference but consider some of the following:
- Watch funny YouTube videos. Warning: this is a rabbit hole where, in Alice in Wonderland style, hours of your day can evaporate.
- In lieu of a comedy club, most of the streaming services offer full-length comedian specials or you can watch clips on YouTube.
- Hang up a few simple items at home or in your home office, such as photos, cards, or comic strips, that make you chuckle.
- Keep funny movies, books or magazines around.
CDC Recommendations + Laughter= A Stress Reducing Winner
The CDC recommends the following for stress management and coping during the COVID-19 outbreak:
- Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
- Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
- Connect with others but while respecting social-distancing guidelines.
So how about combining these CDC recommendations with a healthy dose of laughter? In this time of social distancing, why not send your peeps a funny tidbit? Here are a few that have been sent around my crew in the last week.
Laughter is Good Medicine!