I grew up reading Reader’s Digest. I always enjoyed the humorous anecdotes that were a big part of the publication. One of the features in every issue was a page called “Laughter is the Best Medicine”. I never really thought a lot about that idea until I read a book by Norman Cousins, Anatomy of an Illness. In the book, Cousins described how he healed from ankylosing spondylitis, a painful, progressively crippling and life-threatening joint disease, with “laughter therapy”. That book changed the course of my life.
Healing with Laughter
At the time I read Cousin’s book, 42 years ago, I had been suffering with disabling back pain for over three years. The doctors didn’t know what was wrong with me or how to fix it. Drugs didn’t help. To distract from the pain, I was watching and reading things that interested me. I was spending most of my time watching the Holocaust miniseries that was being aired at the time and reading books about World War II and the holocaust. I had no idea that what I was putting in my mind was affecting my body.
After reading the book, I immediately changed course. I ditched the depressing media for funny, uplifting material. I also sought out treatment with biofeedback, a mind/body approach that Cousins also recommended. I got better.
Cousins went on to be the first non-physician to teach at UCLA School of Medicine. His experience spurred scientists to study laughter’s effect on the body.
Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine. — Lord Byron
Research studies have found that laughter improves immunity by increasing production of antibodies, and increasing activation of T-cells, including Natural Killer cells. Laughter also improves mood, decreases stress hormones, lowers bad cholesterol and systolic blood pressure and raises good cholesterol.[1] It also lowers pain by triggering the release of endorphins, the body’s natural opioids. Laughter has also been found to strengthen social connections.[2]
The Lung Association also reports that when you laugh, your lungs get rid of stale air and more oxygen can enter. This is because laughter helps to expand alveoli in your lungs that are responsible for getting oxygen into your lungs. This in turn results in greater perfusion of oxygen throughout your body.[3]
Isn’t this what we all need right now? Is there any pharmaceutical that can do all this? Without any side effects?
He who laughs, lasts! — Mary Pettibone Poole
Where to Find Humor
We are so fortunate in this day and age to have access to so much media without even leaving our homes—a huge plus in this time of COVID-19. Cable TV, downloadable ebooks, movie streaming services, YouTube, satellite radio, social media and so much more. Not to mention, if we’re lucky, funny household members and pets. Laughter can be found for free or at very low cost.
From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere. — Dr. Seuss
One of my personal favorite places to find humor 24/7 is SirusXM radio. It started out as satellite radio you could listen to in your car and expanded to include access from any electronic device. SiriusXM has a large selection of standup comedy channels including Laughs USA, Comedy Central, Comedy Greats, Just for Laughs Canada, Raw Dog Comedy and She’s So Funny, an all women comedy channel. There are hundreds of channels, so there’s plenty of other entertainment there too, all available for a very low monthly cost. Right now, SiriusXM is offering free streaming through May 15. After that, you can sign up for a package that is free for three months, then $8/month after that. (Please note, I have no financial connection to SiriusXM, I just love the service.)
Recommendation
Laughter has what’s called a dose/response relationship. The means that the more you laugh, the stronger effect you get. So, my recommendation is to laugh as often as you can for as long as you can.
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[1] Body’s response to repetitive laughter is similar to the effect of repetitive exercise, study finds. Science Daily, 2010, April 26. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100426113058.htm..
[2] Manninen S, Tuominen L, Dunbar R, Karjalainen T, Hirvonen J, Arponen E, Hari R, Jaaskelainen I, Sams M, Nummenmaa L. Social laughter triggers endogenous opioid release in humans. Journal of Neuroscience, 2017 June 21; 37(25):6125-6131.
[3]Stasta M, On love, laughter and lungs. 2017 February 13. https://www.lung.ca/blog/love-laughter-and-lungs
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