Life is not always a walk in the park. But how we view it changes the game: a glass half- empty or half-full. Since mindset takes longer to change than the energy in the room, how about resorting to a simple yet powerful tool available to all: laughter.

Have you ever considered gifting yourself such affordable therapy and administering it at will? There is nothing better than having a good laugh! It brings about a multitude of benefits and is always available. Research has shown that it brings a multitude of benefits and works even if it is forced or fake to start with. So have a go, even if you are not in the mood – and see how it helps you shift out of the current emotional state to a higher frequency one. Then things begin to flow and you may find yourself a little happier even if the world around you is not that inclined.

Before you do, here is a list of many benefits of doing so:

• It is free to all, no cost.
• You can start it anywhere – it is contagious! It works best when it is shared!
• Every dose is fine but the longer and deeper the laughter spell, the better.
• Does not require company – you can do it to a mirror!
• It works, even if you induce it artificially. Look for a pretext, like imagine the person who is very serious growing big ears or a long Pinokio nose.
• It makes your diaphragm work which massages your internal organs, including adrenals, mobilising them to produce adrenal hormones. These in turn balance body fluids in terms of salt and water content, regulate blood pressure and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
• This deep massage also improves digestion, makes abdominal muscles work hard, and improves blood supply to all digestive organs.
• It improves the function of your lungs and allows the alveoli to rid themselves of all stuck mucus and phlegm, even alleviating asthma.
• It makes the sorrows go away, fills us with joy and optimism and imparts care-free feel.
• It lowers stress hormones (catecholamines) and thus lowers BP, reduces arrythmia, releases anti-inflammatory cytokines and lowers the risk of arteriosclerosis.
• It lessens tension and individual sense of stress, thus improving immunity and imparting better resilience to infections, seasonal allergies, and serious illnesses.

So do not delay – try laughter therapy on a rainy day and note the benefits. It will feel as if the sun has come out to play!

References:

1. Am J Lifestyle Med.2016 Jul-Aug; 10(4): 262–267. Published online 2016 Jun 23.  The Laughter Prescription. A Tool for Lifestyle Medicine. Dexter Louie, BA, Karolina Brook, MD, and  Elizabeth Frates, MD)

2. Laughter as medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies evaluating the impact of spontaneous laughter on cortisol levels. Caroline Kaercher Kramer, Cristiane Bauermann Leitao, Fares Alahdab, Editor.

3. Laughter therapy cardiac rehabilitation in patients with stable coronary artery disease: a randomized clinical trial. M Saffi, L Franzoni,  R Nery,  A Donelli Da Silveira,  C Andrade,  G Carvalho,  R Stein CardioEx. European Heart Journal, Volume 44, Issue Supplement_2, November 2023