Is laughter really the best medicine?

TIME and time again we’ve heard expressions centred around the effects of laughter. ‘Sure if you don’t laugh, you’d cry’ is one I’ve definitely uttered myself on occasion. In this crazy thing called life and all it presents us with, sometimes laughter and keeping a care-free attitude are all we can turn to.

Laughter has been shown to be a stress reliever. The science backs it up. When laughing, physical effects are taking hold within your body. In the short-term, it can help to reduce physical symptoms by aiding with muscle relaxation; it can decrease your heart rate and blood pressure, leading to a nice sense of relaxation; and of course it can increase the level of endorphins that are released by your brain. Endorphins are released when engaging in pleasurable activities, such as exercising and eating, and it seems that in some, cases laughter can do the same!

Laughter is present all through our lives from the very start; think of a baby or a toddler’s sweet little smile or laugh in reaction to something. However, perhaps a laughing disposition no longer comes easily to you. Maybe there weren’t or aren’t many pockets of laughter in your household. The good news is that you can work on reintroducing this feel-good emotional reaction into your life and feel its benefits.

A good place to start is to simply smile, as it is the beginning of laughter. You will notice that you may need to make an effort to smile if it is not something you often do naturally. But watch and see the impact it will have on other people. It’s contagious.

If you can, try to find or inject humour in everyday life in some way. Don’t take life too seriously. Rather, attempt to laugh at the absurdity that may be present in some situations. At times things can be so ironic, that the only way to overcome them is to positively frame your reaction (only if you can, of course).

Meanwhile, avoid getting too caught up with negativity. It may be in your best interest to limit interactions with things that bring you down, whether it’s stories or entertainment choices that make you feel low or people who are quite negative in general. It is not always possible to entirely eliminate these things, but even if you can reduce or minimise the time you spend with them, it will be of benefit and help you in the long run.

If you are experiencing a stressful period in your life – as we all do at times – try to keep it as under control as you can. Feeling stressed can unfortunately make those moments of laughter and lightness harder to grasp. If there is anything that may relieve the pressure, then lean into it.

Make an effort to embrace laughter and humour as an important part of your day-to-day life. On top of all the short-term benefits I mentioned earlier, it can make life more enjoyable, help you to connect with other people and even help you to tackle problems that come your way. I urge you to focus on this and see how you feel after a good belly laugh, whether it’s from a comedy show on the television or during a catch up with a pal. And as for that old saying, ‘laughter is the best medicine’ – well, the sentiment might be a little exaggerated. Laughter is not a fix all, but it is certainly a good, healthy mind-and-body booster that can easily be turned to. Enjoy it!

Sadhbh Dunne is a qualified life coach based in Westport. She is the founder of Ember Coaching (embercoaching.ie) and can be reached at sadhbh@embercoaching.ie.