Laugh your way to better health
Laughing and joking around with friends is not only a fun way to spend your leisure time, it can also boost your emotional and physical health. Research studies point to the numerous benefits of laughter, such as reducing stress, improving mood and overcoming depression, increasing immune function and relieving pain.
In his 1979 book, Anatomy of an Illness, American author Norman Cousins shared his own positive experience with laughter. Cousins, who was diagnosed with the painful spine condition ankylosing spondylitis in 1964, found that 10 minutes of “genuine belly laughter” had an anaesthetic effect and helped him enjoy at least two hours of pain-free sleep, something he couldn’t achieve with morphine.
Cousins requested the nurses in his New York hospital to read him excerpts from newspaper humour columns and show him Marx Brothers films and reruns of TV show “Candid Camera” to help him laugh.
A study carried out at the Indiana State University’s Sycamore Nursing Center in the USA, concluded that laughter may reduce stress and improve levels of natural killer cells, a type of white blood cells that attack cancer cells.
When you laugh deeply, there’s a contraction of muscles in the face and other parts of the body, which increases blood flow and the intake of oxygen-rich air. Mirthful laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, brain chemicals that have a feel-good effect.
5 ways to laugh more:
Place funny photos or the word ‘Laugh’ at conspicuous spots in your home, as a reminder to laugh daily.
Keep a stash of joke books and bookmark humour websites for days when you feel down and need a dose of laughter.
Join a group for laughter therapy or laughter yoga.
Spend more time with friends or family members who make you laugh.
Designate a weekly comedy night for watching comedy shows or films.
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