Laughter Is the Best Medicine

By Stacey Wells ‘15

How many times do you laugh per day? A significant amount? Only once? Hopefully you answered with the former because laughter has a multitude of benefits for your mental health and physical well-being.

Whether people giggle at a joke or guffaw at Saturday Night Live, they are relieving stress and tension. In a world where teenagers report to be more stressed than adults, stress relief from laughter is an extremely positive thing. While laughing, the brain releases endorphins, which generate a good feeling throughout the body. Laughter also increases your heart rate, improves your blood pressure and helps your muscles relax; all of which relieve stress and aid in relaxation. Laughter even causes the body to release neuropeptides, which improve the immune system and protect against serious disease.

In some places, laughter is actually used as a way to help people cope with extreme illnesses. At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), laughter therapy is available for cancer patients and their families. The therapy involves laugh-related exercises, such as laughter greetings, that encourage contagious laughter throughout the group. While the therapy will not cure the patient, it has numerous health benefits, increases their positivity and gives them another tool to help them remain hopeful about their sickness. Laughter therapy can also help lessen depression, especially among the elderly population. According to a study done by the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, participants experienced fewer symptoms of depression after undergoing the laughter therapy.

Laughter is also good for relationships. Research shows that couples who laugh more report higher levels of relationship satisfaction. Laughing establishes positive emotions and a sense of connection between people, and allows for a more loving relationship.  

Even with laughter’s many benefits, studies show that adults do not laugh as much as children. One of the best ways to laugh more is to surround oneself with other people in a social setting. According to research by laughter experts, laughter occurs more in a social situation than while one is alone, and since laughter is contagious, people are more likely to laugh while around others.