No-fuss anxiety tips #12: Have a Good Laugh
Welcome to article #12 in this series of 20-short blogs containing simple tips and techniques for managing anxiety. These strategies are designed to give you a sense of agency when it comes to managing anxiety. This blog hones in on how having a good laugh can be a powerful antidote to anxiety. As with the other articles in this series, the tips and strategies draw upon therapeutic thinking from a range of psychological and psychotherapy theories. My hope is that, rather than feel like anxiety is the boss, you’ll feel equipped to take back control of your life.
What these tips won’t do is explore the origins and purpose of anxiety for you – this type of deeper exploration is what counselling offers. That said, having strategies for managing anxiety is a great place to start. Each article is designed to be quick read, no-fuss. So, let’s get started on tip number 12: have a good laugh.
Laughter helps you relax
Laughter feels good and promotes relaxation. When you laugh, your muscles soften, and tension is released from your body. That’s the opposite to how your body is during an anxious state, where muscles tense and tighten. Laughing with others is especially powerful for managing anxiety: endorphins release induced by social laughter support the creation and reinforcement of social bonds (Manninen, et al., 2017). We feel less alone, less isolated. Our wellbeing gets a boost from feeling connected to others. Laughing with others helps you to let go of anxiety, feel more upbeat and more positive.
Whatever makes you LOL….
…Laughing with others helps you let go of anxiety
What makes you laugh
What makes you laugh? What gives you a good chuckle? What gets you giggling? And how can you build more laughter into your week? I’m a fan of stand-up comedy and my funny bone is tickled by a whole range of comedians. But there are lots of other ways you can tap into the relaxation response of laughter. Here are some ideas to consider:
Watch a comedy show: live or on TV
Ask your work colleagues to share their best joke with you
Chat with friends about fond, funny memories from the past. “Do you remember that time when…..”
Consider joining a “laughter yoga” class - a wellness practice that combines intentional laughter exercises with deep yogic breathing techniques
Swap out door scrolling in the morning or listening to early-morning news broadcasts for humorous podcasts or stand-up audio during your commute.
Fake it till you make it
It’s worth noting that if you don’t really feel like laughing, or struggle to fins anything to tickle your funny bone, your nervous system can still benefit from fake or simulated laughter. Pretending to laugh has been shown to be effective at reducing anxiety. The brain struggles to distinguish between genuine authentic laughter and fake laughter. By performing the physical motions of laughing, your body releases feel good endorphin hormones, and there is a reduction in the stress hormone, cortisol within your nervous system (Kramer & Leitão, 2023)And you never know, you might feel so ridiculous doing a fake laugh, that you begin to laugh naturally.
Next steps?
There are plenty of other blogs in this anxiety-themed series you can check out if you’re looking for no-fuss anxiety tips. If you’ve joined this series mid way, you might like to check out the first blog - which explores how you can befriend your anxiety. Or, check out of the next article, #13 which explores how living in line with your values can be a way to live with greater ease.
And, if you’d like to talk through how counselling can help you towards a deeper exploration of your anxiety, feel free to make contact with me, Claire Law.
I’m a BACP Senior Accredited Psychotherapist offering professional counselling and psychotherapy in Preston, Lancashire and online for adults based in the UK.
We can talk through how online counselling or face-to-face counselling at my therapy room in Preston could be helpful for you in managing your anxiety and getting to the roots of what lies behind your anxiety. I’d love to hear from you.
References:
Kramer, C.K., & Leitão, C.B. (2023). Laughter as medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies evaluating the impact of spontaneous laughter on cortisol levels. PLOS ONE, 18.
Manninen, S., Tuominen, L., Dunbar, R.I., Karjalainen, T., Hirvonen, J., Arponen, E., Hari, R., Jääskeläinen, I.P., Sams, M., Nummenmaa, L. (2017). Social Laughter Triggers Endogenous Opioid Release in Humans. J Neurosci. 2017 Jun 21;37(25):6125-6131.