Benefits of laughter
- chong Andelina
- Aug 10
- 2 min read
World laughter day is on 4 May 25. # laughter for mental wellness
I am calm at managing my ex-patient’s dispute but I’m like a super anxious frog on a frying pan when I went for medical procedure. About 2 years ago, I’ve to go for a minor medical procedure. Before the procedure, I asked the doctor whether it’s possible to do it under general anaesthesia. Much to my dismay, it cannot be done. During the procedure, the nurse tried to calm me down and asked me whether I wanted to eat some sweets. I felt insulted and replied that I’m not a child and sweets were not going to calm me down. My motivation to cooperate was to complete the procedure soon. When I returned for the follow-up few days later, the nurses give me a funny look and were able to recall my name before I produced my IC. I was embarrassed and grinned. LOL
It was funny looking at it in retrospect. Ex colleague would describe me as either the quiet thinker or the ‘pixie’ with the hearty laughter. My laughter is contagious. Some love it while a handful don’t. Well, it is what it is.
Benefits of laughter:
Laughter lightens your mood and reframes your reality. By introducing humor, you gain a crucial distance from challenging situations, transforming overwhelming threats into manageable perspectives and dissolving the tension of conflict. (Robinson et al., 2024)
Some Adults may feel that they must always behave in an “age-appropriate” way. I love the playfulness of one of my uncles who is retired. I aspire to be like him when I reached that age. I would say embrace your inner child in your personal capacity. Be happy and don’t feel pressured to act a certain way(Lonczak, 2020). Of course, use healthy humour. Exercise discretion when using humor in business settings.
Humor can resolve social tension (Robinson et al., 2024). I recall that there was a miscommunication with a good friend and we drifted apart. When we reconnect and burst out in laughter at a certain moment suddenly, all the uncomfortable feelings were gone and we reconnected like the good old times.
Laughter also burns calories. While not a workout replacement, embracing daily laughter for just up to 15 minutes subtly ignites your metabolism, potentially melting away a few pounds over the year. That’s a delightful bonus on your journey to a healthier you.
According to (Robinson Et al,2024), ways to add more laughter in your life includes:
Find your inner child. I noticed that young kids normally laugh more than adults. Adults with a childlike trait typically laugh more and are able to bounce back from challenges faster.
Goofing around with kids. Playing with my nephews is one of my favourite activities to add unexpected laughter in my life. It gives me a chance to do childlike stuff without being judged. LOL
What’s the funniest thing that happened to you today? This week? In your life?
References:
https://positivepsychology.com/humor-psychology/#18-examples-of-humor-as-a strength dated 8 Jul 2020 by Heather S. Lonczak, Ph.D.
