The medicine of laughter.
My good friend and I have a standing COVID phone conversation every Friday afternoon — conveniently around cocktail time so the glass of wine comes in handy. Perhaps that adds to the joviality, but we laugh a lot during our chat. In the course of a recent conversation, she remarked that I have a good laugh. Really? I’d never really thought about that. Admittedly, laughing comes easy to me. I’m not necessarily a joke teller or a humorist. I just enjoy laughing. I also smile quite easily.
That got me thinking. How important is laughter? Can it contribute to a long lived life? There’s probably no definitive research that proves humor and laughter prolong life, but upon further analysis there are clearly many benefits to making sure laughter is a regular part of ones day.
Laughter can actually strengthen the immune system. Hearty laughter increases blood flow and improves oxygen levels. It’s also been shown to decrease blood pressure and promote blood circulation throughout the body. For sedentary people, i.e. nursing home residents, laughter can even be a form of light exercise . Deep breaths can work the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. In short, laughter does the body good.
Laughter can even diminish pain or at the very least provide a diversion from it, with the added advantage that the feel-good benefits remain even after the laughter subsides.
Perhaps the most striking example of the physical benefits of laughter is in Norman Cousin’s book, Anatomy of an Illness. In 1964, the journalist, having just returned from a stressful trip to Russia, was diagnosed with a serious degenerative disease. In fact, his doctor told him he probably had only a few months to live. Not wanting to accept that fate, with his doctor’s permission he checked out of the hospital and into a nearby hotel. There he proceeded to watch a near-continuous stream of humorus movies. Cousins eventually recovered, and, in 1974 wrote the book on his experience. It’s now considered a classic.
Laughter is good for mental health. Laughter is a natural stress reliever, reducing the stress hormone, cortisol. At the same time, it triggers endorphins, the body’s ‘feel-good’ chemicals. Feeling angry about something? If you can find something to laugh about that angry feeling can melt away.
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Laughter strengthens social connectedness. Laughter is contagious in a good way. The social connectedness that comes from sharing a good laugh fosters emotional connections which in turn create a positive bond of togetherness. Humor lightens our burdens, inspires hope and builds relationships.
It appears there are many reasons to make laughter a part of our lives. But admittedly, laughter comes easier to some more than others. Like the comment from my neighbor. She believes that I laugh out loud quite easily. She says she doesn’t. I told her that maybe she is laughing ‘on the inside.’ Which I think is the case with my husband. He seldom laughs out loud, and smiles don’t come quickly to him. But I love his dry sense of humor which never fails to entertain me and make me laugh. Maybe his laughter lives vicariously through me.
I opt for laughter any day. But we all have gloomy days, times when there just doesn’t seem to be much to be happy about. But wait, there usually is. On any given day, in any situation there is something that could bring forth a smile or a laugh. We just have to look for it.
Count our blessings. In the most dire of circumstances a person can find something for which they are grateful. Take this comment from a survivor of the Nazi death camps, Viktor Frankl in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning: “I never would have made it if I could not have laughed. It lifted me momentarily out of this horrible situation just enough to make it livable.”
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Hang out with children. How can one not smile or join in with the carefree laughter of a child. My granddaughters make my day every time they come for a visit. Even in these COVID pandemic times when I’ve been separated from them, I reach for the photo albums and smile about the memories the pictures invoke. My beautiful grandchildren and the wonderful times I have with them make me smile.
Laugh with Friends. Conversations with friends, whether face-to-face, zoom or on the phone can bring pleasant opportunities for smiles and laughter.
Adopt a pet. The Christmas kitty has been a most enjoyable addition in our house. I laugh at her antics — tearing around the house for her morning “exercise,” laying in the sink while I put on my makeup, wrapping herself up in a ball of yarn, or just purring loudly as she curls up on my lap. Pets bring us joy, laughter and smiles.
Try Laughing Yoga. Yes, there really is such a thing. In fact, there are laughter yoga clubs all over the world. Laughter yoga uses a series of breathing techniques along with several other movements like clapping and of course laughter. It’s been used in businesses, health clubs for aerobic and cardio exercise and senior centers to ward off dementia and even curb the effects of Parkinson’s.
Watch a funny movie. This is where MeTV really does come in handy. Comedy from the likes of Carol Burnett, Red Skeleton and others never fail to give me a belly laugh.
And then there’s the great Johnny Carson, a native Nebraskan. A lot of his memorabilia is housed in the Elkhorn Valley Museum in Norfolk, NE. There’s a replica of the sound stage where his shows were taped. You can even sit on a couch very similar to one used on his show and watch reruns of some of his best shows. How’s that for a good laugh.
So let us laugh — for the good of our minds, bodies, hearts and just maybe for a long lived life.
You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.
Michael Pritchard, author