Recently I read an interesting article in The Harvard Business Review entitled “Laughter Will Keep Your Team Connected—Even When You are Apart” by J. Stewart Black. Dr. Black is a professor, keynote speaker, consultant, researcher, and author, who works with a variety of organizations globally. He says that one unintended consequence of living a more isolated life during COVID-19 is that we have become so hyper-focused on being productive and efficient, that we have reduced the amount of laughter in our lives.
According to Black, “people laugh about 18 times per day. And 97% of that time we’re laughing with others—we are 30 times more likely to laugh with others than to laugh alone.” Laughing is contagious, which is why television shows have used laugh tracks for many years. Black says that there are health benefits to laughing which occur when our body releases two chemicals, endorphins, and dopamine. He describes the benefits this way:
“First, our pituitary gland releases endorphins into our blood where they make their way into the brain and spine. Endorphins are polypeptides that interact with opioid receptors in the brain to help relieve pain and trigger feelings of pleasure. In fact, studies show that people can endure 15% more pain simply by laughing for a few minutes beforehand.
Second, when we laugh, our brain releases dopamine — a neurotransmitter that creates a sense of euphoria. Dopamine can enhance learning, motivation, and attention . In fact, the overall health benefits of laughter and the neurochemicals involved include improved immune functioning, stress relief, increased tolerance for pain, improved cardiovascular health, reduced anxiety, sense of safety, and improved mood . Laughter is also associated with higher motivation and productivity at work .”
A famous journalist, Norman Cousins, wrote a book entitled Anatomy of an Illness about his experience recovering from a rare disease called ankylosing spondylitis. The illness made it very difficult for him to move his jaw. He decided that he was going to combat his bleak outlook for recovery and face his unbearable pain by reading funny books and watching funny television shows like Candid Camera and the Marx Brothers. He learned that ten minutes of deep laughter would help him sleep two hours without pain. He came to believe that positive thinking leads to positive actions, positive actions lead to positive habits, and, finally positive habits lead to positive results. He believed that we can control negative thoughts by overcoming them with positive thoughts. He believed that love, laughter, and camaraderie enhance our physical well-being.
Cousins lived to the age of 75 virtually pain free, despite being diagnosed with this painful condition when he was 49.
There are many reasons why laughter is good for us. Laughter improves our physical health by relaxing our muscles, lowering our stress, boosting our immune system, helping with sleep, and lowering our blood pressure. Laughter also helps our mental health . It helps to increase our optimism; decrease our anxiety, fear, anger and sadness; and puts things in perspective. Laughter also helps our social relationships by creating bonds and reducing inhibitions, allowing people to be their authentic selves. It produces positive feelings and strengthens emotional connections.
The bottom line is…don’t forget to take time to laugh. It’s important for your health and well-being.
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