Today (April 16) is National Stress Awareness Day. Since the month of April is National Humor Month (you can read more about that here), I thought I’d explore how humor can be a tool in relieving stress.

Have you heard about these laugh groups popping up around the country (also referred to as laughter yoga)? People literally get together just to laugh. But there is a method to and purpose for their laughter. In my research, I came across Laughter Online University, where they provide warm-up (yes, warm-up!) exercises, laughter and breathing exercises, all targeted to “promote health through laughter, joy and human connections, while at the same time developing a more resilient, positive attitude in life.”

So, does laughter actually deliver a more positive attitude in life? And how, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances, do you find humor in your life when you see no reason to laugh or feel that you have no space for laughter?

First, let’s look at how the physical act of laughing impacts our emotional well-being. Research shows that, similar to exercise, laughter boosts the heart rate and increases blood flow, causing us to breathe faster and delivering more oxygen to the body’s tissues. This results in increased energy levels, increasing our stamina and levels of motivation and productivity. You may have heard that stress produces a chemical in our bodies called cortisol. Laughter has been found to reduce the levels of cortisol in our bodies. Decreased cortisol levels help muscles relax and reduce tension. Our heart rates eventually slow down and our blood pressure comes down, leading to a feeling of relaxation. In addition, during a bout of laughter, our pituitary glands and hypothalamuses release endorphins, dopamine, and other hormones and neuropeptides related to feelings of happiness, bonding, tolerance, and compassion. Research also shows that laughter synchronizes our gamma brain waves with other areas of the brain, which improves our focus and clarity of thought.

Ok, so how do we find things to laugh about when nothing is funny? When we’re so stressed with everything we have to do that we fear taking a break will put us further behind? Or when we’re so depressed that everything seems bleak? Or we’re grieving the loss of a loved one? Or we’re so tangled up in anxiety that we can’t even think to remind ourselves to laugh?

Laughter Online University admonishes us to choose to laugh. This left me wondering: is it that the physical act of laughing, rather than the reason for and the emotion behind the laughter, kicks the physical processes explained above into gear, causing us to feel less stressed? The Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s (CTCA) website shed some light on my question. CTCA provides laugh therapy for its patients and their families. They describe their Laughter Clubs as leader-led groups that guide participants through laugh-related exercises, including fake laughter. Here is an excerpt from their website, describing the Laughter Club led by Dr. Katherine Puckett:

Laughter Club is based not on humor or jokes, but rather on laughter as a physical exercise. One group laughter exercise involves patients standing in a circle, with the leader in the middle. Patients put their fingertips on their cheekbones, chest or lower abdomen and make “ha ha” or “hee hee” sounds until they feel vibrations through their bodies. Dr. Puckett says that, during these exercises, it is hard for people not to join in because laughter is so contagious. According to Dr. Puckett, at the end of a laughter therapy session, patients have said things like “I didn’t even think about cancer during Laughter Club” and “That felt great! Things have been so hard that we hadn’t laughed in months.” Dr. Puckett adds that the 8-year-old daughter of a CTCA patient who attended Laughter Club said afterwards: “I never thought about laughing every day, but now I realize I can. Like even when I don’t feel happy, I can still laugh and feel better.”

Clearly, research is not suggesting that laughing will cure cancer or any other serious medical condition, nor will it completely alleviate the pain, fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and countless other emotions that result from a grim medical diagnosis or excruciating life circumstance. What it does seem to suggest supports some of the observations I’ve noticed in my own life and in my work with clients:

• Laughter reminds us that pain is not all there is. Life is excruciatingly painful in all sorts of ways. But when something really makes us laugh, we are reminded that there is also lightness in the world and that there are things that do actually bring a smile to our face. When we laugh, we shift our perspective, creating room for increased openness to and acceptance of all of our experiences, good and bad.
• Laughter brings us back to our bodies. Have you ever laughed so hard you couldn’t breathe? Or you thought…you know…that you might lose control of your bladder? Or maybe you actually have lost control of your bladder?! When that laughter subsided, what did you notice? When I think of the last time that I laughed that hard, I remember feeling like my whole upper body had been scrunched up so tight during laughter, that when I stopped laughing, the muscles all released, like an extra large exhale. I now realize that that is indeed what was happening: oxygen was flowing steadily through my body and my cortisol levels were dropping, decreasing tension in my muscles. Laughter brought my awareness to my body, what was happening in the present moment, rather than my to-do list or difficulties weighing heavily on me.
• We can choose to care for ourselves even when our difficult thoughts, feelings, and circumstances seem to tell us that there is no hope. The voice that tells us that there is no point to enjoying life or engaging in things that matter to us does not have to rob us of our joy or our ability to show ourselves self-compassion and self-care. Don’t get me wrong, this is HARD. Depression and anxiety can feel crippling and zap us of any motivation or desire we may have to fully participate in our lives. And while laughter will not cure or change difficult life circumstances, it can provide brief moments of light and turn our awareness to the light we are experiencing in the present moment.
• Laughter breeds connection. It might be a joke someone tells, an inside joke with a loved one, a line in a book or watching your favorite comedian on Netflix. By laughing, we are joining with someone or something, even if we’re alone. There is an experience being shared.

So, while I may not go through the laughing exercises on Laughter Online University (although I encourage you to check them out if you’re interested!), I definitely plan on paying more attention to my body and stress levels after my next giant belly laugh. I’d encourage you to do the same! Let me know how it goes! J

References

Thomas, M. (2012, April 26). National humor month: Laughing matters. Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/national-humor-month-laug_n_1441488.html.

Laughter Online University: http://www.laughteronlineuniversity.com/

Cancer Treatment Centers of America: https://www.cancercenter.com/treatments/laughter-therapy/