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THE POSITIVITY ISSUE
LAUGHTER :
THE BEST MEDICINE
HAVING A GOOD BELLY LAUGH ALWAYS LEAVES YOU FEELING GOOD . BUT DID YOU KNOW SIMULATED LAUGHTER CAN HAVE THE SAME EFFECT ?
W ant to know how to get a good positivity hit , whenever you want , absolutely free ? Laugh . Yep , laugh . Don ’ t believe us ? In the American Journal of LIfestyle Medicine in 2016 , Dexter , Brook and Frates – in their paper ‘ The Laughter Prescription , A Tool for Lifestyle Medicine ’, wrote :
“ It is commonly accepted that laughter produces psychological benefits , such as improving affect , depression , anxiety , and stress . Nevertheless , there is growing evidence that laughter as a physical activity can additionally produce small but quantifiable positive physiological benefits .”
Of course , there ’ s different types of laughter .
There ’ s spontaneous laughter – the type that occurs when your ’ re with a group of mates and someone tells a great joke , relays a hilarious story , or does something utterly ridiculous .
And then there ’ s simulated laughter … when you just make yourself laugh for no reason .
Now then , we ’ re not suggesting for a moment that you do this as you are going about your day . No colleague or client wants to share a space with someone who ’ s bursting into peals of laughter for no apparent reason every 30 minutes . Just think of your Google reviews …
However , having a ‘ simulated laugh ’ by yourself before your leave for work , before you jump out of the van for a job or when you ’ re certain you ’ re alone can work wonders .
Why ? Because , while spontaneous laughter is generally more to do with a positive mood than induced laughter , and neuroimaging suggests different neural pathways are used , it ’ s believed it has the same effect on your body as spontaneous laughter does .
The Motion Creates Emotion Theory suggests that your body doesn ’ t recognise the difference between intentional laughter and spontaneous laughter – meaning the body can be tricked into an identical physiological response .
Some of the benefits of having a good old laugh include :
It releases endorphins : Yes , those things that we generally think of as being produced by exercise , also flow out of us when we laugh . It ’ s a natural high !
It can lift your immune system : By laughing you can decrease your stress hormones and increase immune cells and those valuable antibodies .
It gets rid of anger : It ’ s difficult to remain angry when you ’ ve just burst out into laughter , isn ’ t it ?
It can help your heart : When you laugh it increases blood flow , which can improve the function of your blood vessels .
It can help you relax : Try staying stressed when you ’ ve just had a good giggle
Laughter can change perspective : By reducing stress and increasing energy , it can enable you to see things in a different way .
A New Zealand study found that laughter helped increase heart rate and reduced heart variability ( similar effects to those produced by exercise ), while a 2020 study from the Stanford School of Medicine found that ‘ laughter exercises ’ reduced symptoms of depression .
Best of all , sharing a laugh with others helps bring them closer and form deeper relationships – all of which can have a huge impact on your mental health .
So , what are you waiting for ? Put something funny on TV , spend time chatting with some good friends ( the laughs will flow ) or take some time alone and just laugh . We know it sounds ridiculous but just do it . It works . n
Laughter yoga |
Want to take it to the next level ? Try laughter yoga . This form of yoga is done in groups , and involves making eye contact with other participants and , well , |
just laughing . The brainchild of doctor Madan Kataria , laughter yoga is now practised in more than 50 countries around the world – and if you |
head over to Google you ’ ll find there ’ s a whole host of laughter yoga studios right here in Australia .
What are you waiting for ?
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