Boost Your Immune System & Reduce Stress: The Healing Power of Laughter

Laugh your way to good health. Humor therapy is no laughing matter. Something that we usually take for granted, laughing allows us to momentarily forget our troubles.

Believe it or not, studies show that laughing can boost the immune system, reduce stress, and even help us deal with chronic pain.  Plus, laughing can burn calories, too. Laughing for 10-15 minutes can raise your heart rate by nearly 20 percent, burning up to 40 calories each day! Think of a time when you laughed really hard and how out-of-breath you were afterwards. Now that’s a good laugh! Humor can boost brain-power and sharpness, as well. Similarly, maintaining a positive attitude will create more moments of joy rather than spending time thinking about the negatives. If you focus on the humor rather than the cynicism, your day will play out much differently.

Spend roughly five minutes doing these five giggle-gushers. This can be done at home by yourself or within a group of people (more the better). Well & Being uses these laughing yoga techniques during group sessions to enhance meetings, retreats, and spa parties. No matter how ridiculous they seem, try them. You’ll feel great afterwards!

1. Begin with different types of laughing.  Try some loud “ha-has” and some deeper “ho-hos” and maybe even an “ah-ha-ha”! Forcing yourself to laugh will eventually work. You will be surprised.
2. Make your laugh musical. Belt out your laugh up and down the musical scale
3. Pretend everything you touch gives you an electric shock! Bleep a sharp “aeeee!” as you can’t stop from being shocked.
4. Close your mouth and laugh haughtily. Try to keep you mouth closed! You might lose it on this one.
5. Quietly think about your day or week and pick out your worst moments. Force yourself to laugh at these moments. You’ll find yourself feeling better in no time.