By Coral Van Noy
“A day without laughter is a day wasted.”
A few days ago, I found myself in a very quiet place. It is a space of stillness and meditation, so quiet that even whispers can be heard by others in the room. I was sitting next to my cousin, and something we said or a look we exchanged must have set us off, because it wasn’t long before both of us were inadvertently caught with a case of the giggles. I turned away from her, told myself to just breathe, and I swear, I nearly composed myself a few times.
And then I felt her next to me shaking with breathless laughter.
The giggles erupted again. Tears were streaming down my face. Nothing was stopping us, especially not the social pressure of the silent room, which only seemed to make the situation more hilarious. The laugh attack was so uncontrollable we had to leave to avoid distracting anyone. Even once we were outside, the laughter didn’t stop, and neither did the stares from people we passed. But we didn’t care; it was a moment of pure joy together.
I love to laugh. I think most of us do. Charles Dickens wrote,
“While there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour.”
Laughter is a well documented play response among a variety of mammals, but among humans there is a particularly cultural element and various types of laughter (Scott et al., 2014). We laugh to ease social tension or to convey warmth, we laugh involuntarily when tickled, we laugh alone, we laugh among friends. I can tell a difference in how my life is going when I am laughing a lot versus when laughter feels rare. A great day for me definitely includes a good laugh, and these benefits of laughter have been well documented by research.
Psychological Benefits
Though we sometimes use laughter to deal with discomfort in an awkward interaction, laughing is generally associated with positive emotions and social connection. Laughter has many positive impacts on mental health, demonstrated by extensive studies that found reductions in anxiety, depression, and stress as a result of laughter interventions (Stiwi & Rosenthal, 2022). In older adults, laughter has been found to reduce loneliness (Alici & Bahceli, 2020). Social connection is vital to a happy and healthy life (see MyBestSelf101 Supportive Relationships Module), and laughter can be a strong force for social bonding through releasing endorphins (Dunbar et al., 2021). Anecdotally, I can say that social laughter always seems to lift my mood, improve my friendships, and shift my outlook to be more positive.
Physical Benefits
Beyond the emotional lift, laughter also offers several physiological benefits. In our high-stress modern lives, laughter can be a free, simple stress reduction tool. For example, researchers have found that laughter sessions result in a significant reduction of cortisol levels, a hormone related to stress (Kramer & Leitao, 2023). Laughter is also related to decreases in blood pressure and increases in heart-rate variability, both positive outcomes for cardiovascular health and overall well-being (Oliveira & Arriaga, 2022). Further research is necessary to solidify laughter’s positive influence on physical health, but the available evidence is promising.
Practice ideas
Although laughter is a natural behavior, here are a few ideas for how to bring more laughter into your life.
Laughter yoga
Laughter Yoga invites participants to engage in breathing exercises that allow you to laugh for no reason, surrounded by other people doing the same (Kataria). Some practices may feel odd or uncomfortable at first, but the embarrassing nature of doing something silly is a great way to get everyone laughing. There is a strong evidence base for the benefits of practicing laughter yoga, such as a study that found stress reduction from laughter yoga in cancer patients (Farifteh et al., 2013). Try finding a laughter yoga practice near you, or starting your own!
Finding Humor in Life
A shift in perspective can help us find humor in everyday moments, and even use it to overcome difficulty. Try laughing at yourself when you do something embarrassing rather than engaging in negative self-talk. Reconnect with your inner child and find an activity that makes you feel playful. Reminisce about past experiences with a light-hearted view. Spend time exploring what is funny to you, and find ways to include a little more humor in your life.
Social Laughter
I’ve found there are certain people that just make me laugh. One study found that without media we are 30 times more likely to laugh with others than alone (Provine & Fischer, 1989). As we laugh together with friends or family, we build connection and meaningful shared experiences. Make time to just be present with loved ones, sharing stories, funny experiences, and simply allow yourself to enjoy laughter.
“With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”
References
Alici, N. K., & Bahceli, P. Z. (2020). Effects of laughter therapy on life satisfaction and loneliness in older adults living in nursing homes in Turkey: a parallel group randomized controlled trial. Rehabilitation Nursing, 46(2), 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1097/rnj.0000000000000266
Dickens, C. MA 97, page 43. (2018, November 5). The Morgan Library & Museum. https://www.themorgan.org/collections/works/dickens/ChristmasCarol/46
Dunbar, R. I. M., Frangou, A., Grainger, F., & Pearce, E. (2021). Laughter influences social bonding but not prosocial generosity to friends and strangers. PloS one, 16(8), e0256229. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256229
Farifteh S, Mohammadi-Aria A, Kiamanesh A, Mofid B. The Impact of Laughter Yoga on the Stress of Cancer Patients before Chemotherapy. Iran J Cancer Prev. 2014 Fall;7(4):179-83. PMID: 25628838; PMCID: PMC4307100.
Kataria, M. (n.d.). About Laughter Yoga - Laughter Yoga International. https://www.laughteryoga.org/about-laughter-yoga/ Kramer CK, Leitao CB (2023) Laughter as medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies evaluating the impact of spontaneous laughter on cortisol levels. PLOS ONE 18(5): e0286260. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286260
Oliveira, R. & Arriaga, P. (2022). A systematic review of the effects of laughter on blood pressure and heart rate variability. HUMOR, 35(2), 135-167. https://doi.org/10.1515/humor-2021-0111
Provine, R. R. & Fischer, K. R. 1989: Laughing, Smiling, and Talking: relation to sleeping and social context in humans. Ethology 83, 295-305.
Scott, S. K., Lavan, N., Chen, S., & McGettigan, C. (2014). The social life of laughter. Trends in cognitive sciences, 18(12), 618–620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2014.09.002
Stiwi, K., & Rosendahl, J. (2022). Efficacy of laughter-inducing interventions in patients with somatic or mental health problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 47, 101552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101552