Why laughter is good medicine for stress relief

A good sense of humour may not cure all ailments. Some studies have affirmed that when it comes to relieving stress, more giggles and chuckles are part of the natural remedies. 

Whether you are heartily laughing at the joke by Ali Baba, the celebrated and popular comedian at a wedding reception or giggling at a drama show on the African Magic set on the Satellite television, scientific evidence has shown that laughing not only relieves stress, it does the body good. Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat.

When one feels threatened, the nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, and including adrenaline and cortisol, which rouse the body for emergency action. Stress is what keeps one on one’s toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an examination when you’d rather be watching TV.

However, beyond that comfort zone, stress stops being helpful and can start causing major damage to the mind and body. According to a report by the College of Family Physicians of Canada, by enhancing the free flow of emotions, laughter can help dislodge blocked emotions stored in the body. They noted that suppressed or blocked emotions can cause ongoing physical, mental and emotional problems and stress.

“Their release can be life-changing,” according to their report. It added that laughter provides an excellent non-violent method for emotional release and catharsis. Similarly, they said laughter stimulates circulation and aids muscle relaxation, both of which help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

The many voices of cancer survivors and of those who have employed laughter in their recoveries supply further promising support. One such person, a Cancer survivor and comic, Scott Burton, said, “The other reactions; anger, depression, suppression, denial, took a little piece of me with them.

Each made me feel just a little less human. Yet laughter made me more open to ideas, more inviting to others, and even a little stronger inside. It proved to me that, even as my body was devastated and my spirit challenged, I was still a vital human.”