Stress Managements Secret Weapon: Laughter

by Laura Pentoney, M.A., LPC Weve heard it said before that laughter is the best medicine. While e can arguably come u! ith situations in hich heading to the doctor or the nearest !harmacy for something other than a good laugh might be o!timal, it still remains that the benefits of laughter are ell documented. "ut, other than the !leasurable and #oyful feeling, hat is it about laughter$ What does it do for our minds, our hearts and our bodies$ %o do e cultivate laughter in our lives$ &hese days, in light of the stresses of everyday life, the ability to laugh easily and fre'uently can bring healing !o er and assist in su!!orting the health of our overall !hysical, mental, and emotional ellbeing. Laughter lo ers stress by reducing the level of stress hormones li(e cortisol, e!ine!hrine )adrenaline*, do!amine and gro th hormones. +t also increases the level of health, enhancing hormones li(e endor!hins and neurotransmitters. +n our lives, e benefit through fe er !hysical effects of stress. Clinical research has indicated that laughter boosts the immune system by enhancing the bodys level of & cells, hich attac( cells infected by viruses. %umor has been sho n to increase the number of antibody,!roducing cells as ell. According to the American Association for &hera!eutic %umor, laughter boosts the body-s !roduction of .(iller. hite blood cells that attac( infectious agents in the body. Laughter also hel!s us co!e from day to day. +t can hel! us by lending !ers!ective on a daily basis. +t-s a !o erful emotional release that enables us to continue to function in stressful situations. /hared laughter can !rovide us ith a strong sense of social connection to others. &he o!!ortunity to cultivate and harness the ability to laugh enables us to bring !o erful medicine into our lives. 0ortunately, there are many ays to create and enhance laughter1 Learn to laugh at yourself. 2evelo!ing the ability to ta(e oneself less seriously leads to increased laughter as e begin to shift our !ers!ective and find the humor in those embarrassing moments and blunders that ha!!en to all of us. 0ind friends that are already comfortable in this area, and youll notice yourself beginning to cultivate your o n !layfulness. Surround yourself with laughter reminders. 0ind funny art or( or toys that you can !ut on your des( or in your home. Pause to savor those funny emails that friends send to you. "uy a boo( of #o(es and (ee! it on your coffee table. /hare all of these ith friends. Develop perspective. Many things in life are beyond our control, es!ecially the behavior of other !eo!le. Come to an understanding about hen ta(ing on the eight of the orld might be an unrealistic and unhealthy a!!roach. Learn to cope with and minimize stress. /tress is a ma#or im!ediment to

humor and laughter. 3ngage the e4!ertise and hel! of a mental health !rofessional if stress becomes over helming and difficult to manage. /ome stress that !resents in our daily life is actually unresolved !ain from the !ast. Observe children at play. &hey are ell,versed in the art of !lay and laughter. Go to a Laughter Yoga class. According to 5oga Laughter +nternational, the official ebsite of Laughter 5oga founder 2r. Madan 6ataria, there are no over 7888 social laughter clubs in about 78 countries. 5oga Laughters benefits lie in the fact that our bodies cannot distinguish bet een self,induced and real laughter. &hrough the use of 9nconditional Laughter combined ith 5ogic "reathing, laughter is simulated as a body e4ercise in a grou!. Watch funny movies television shows or go to a comedy club . "uild u! your library of funny videos or go to a comedy club for the shared e4!erience of laughter. !ultivate the ability to tell "o#es or funny stories . %ere the benefit is t ofold. 5ou get to en#oy the #o(e on your o n, and you ill benefit from the shared laughter and social connection.

As you begin to integrate laughter, humor and !lay into your daily life, you ill begin to notice increased #oyfulness, rela4ation, and creativity. Laughter brings !o erful medicine to mind, body and s!irit.
Laura J. Pentoney, M.A., LPC, is a licensed professional counselor at Maria Droste Counseling Center, ho is passionate a!out helping people heal from ounds of the past in order to li"e fuller, richer li"es in the present. Laura or#s ith indi"iduals ho are struggling ith depression, an$iety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and%or eating disorders.