Laughing for happiness & health

Katherine Neubauer put her own advice to work, laughing as she returned my call from a Klamath Falls hotel room. She and her family were stranded there by car trouble, en route to a vacation.

“Sometimes you just have to laugh your way through things,” Neubauer said, struggling to keep her toddler from getting into mischief as we talked.

Neubauer, ND, FABNO is a naturopathic oncologist and helping people consciously choose laughter over tears is an important part of her work, as she encourages cancer patients to thrive through the demands of the treatment process. “While we can’t always cure disease, we can manage how we react,” she said.

Neubauer brings gentle humor to her Bend office, coaxing clients to laugh and let go as often as possible.

“Laughter has so many benefits,” she said. “It connects us with others. Plus it’s fun, free, and easy to use.”

There’s a mountain of research supporting the fact that laughter is good for both body and soul: among other things, it boosts and protects our immune and cardiovascular systems. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, increasing our sense of well-being and temporarily relieving pain.

Our mental resilience is also strengthened through laughter. Sadness, stress, and anger slip away when we’re laughing, letting us relax and recharge.

“Laughter can be transformative,” Neubauer said. “It allows for a fresh perspective and, in some cases, a realistic sense of hope.”

Yet despite all we know about the benefits of laughter, humor can be hard to find when life looks bleak. So how do we get there when times are tough? Simply enough, start with a smile.

So suggests Licensed Professional Counselor Michele Freeman, MS, NCC, LPC. Working from her office in Bend, Freeman brightens the lives of those who struggle with depression, loss, and illness — using humor to encourage clients to loosen their connection to the angst that’s overtaken their lives.

To begin the transformation from sorrow to something sweeter, Freeman begins each therapy session with a smile.

“When someone sees a genuine smile, they respond,” she said. “It’s like planting a seed.”

Freeman explains that our response to a smile is automatic, caused by cells in our brain called mirror neurons that respond equally whether we perform an action (like smile) or see that same action performed. When you give or receive a smile dopamine is released in the body, triggering a sense of well-being.

“We can use ourselves to affect other people, forgetting our own problems for just a bit. We all know someone who needs a smile,” Freeman said.

Surprisingly, even a fake smile can improve your mood.

“Hold your smile for two minutes and watch the effect is has on your body,” Freeman said. Even if it feels forced, practice smiling at those around you — your neighbors, the clerk in your grocery store, babies (who love to smile in return), and pets. Make a game of seeing who will respond. When people smile in return, their positive feedback will be your reward.

While smiling is terrific, laughter is even more beneficial. That’s why Neubauer, Freeman, and other medical experts recommend consciously adding humor to your life to ease depression and anxiety. Take a temporary vacation from your troubles by attending a live comedy show, reading a joke book, or watching a funny movie

Freeman includes online videos in her humor homework. “YouTube has a ton of humor. I tell clients to put a silly video on, even if you don’t feel like it. Get your head above water, even if just for a little bit. Take a break from pain.”

Just a few minutes of watching stupid pet tricks, goats in pajamas, or bubbly babies can help you forget your troubles. Political or celebrity parodies may make you laugh out loud. Vintage sitcoms, like ‘I Love Lucy’ may recall simpler, happier times.

An afternoon at a dog park can be comedic when dogs of all shapes and sizes try to find common ground chasing balls and barking at squirrels. Do their owners look like them? (Many do.) Give yourself permission to be entertained.

Like smiling, laughter is contagious — so sharing fun with friends increases the payoff. Try setting up a game night where you compete for wacky prizes — or have an awful consolation prize that the loser has to display in their home.

During the game, give each other nicknames you’ll use for the night and impose a 25-cent penalty for every slipup. Remembering to call your best friend “Fuzzy Bunny” will add a note of hilarity to the game. Set aside the funds you collect to purchase snacks for a future get-together.

Invite friends to join you on an outing to a comedy or improv (improvisational theater) club for an evening of escapist fun.

Co-owner of Strictly Organic Coffee by day, Rhonda Ealy abandons the stresses of business ownership by teaching improv and performing in Triage/Bend Improv. Skits range from fictional to funny. Whether you participate as a performer or in the audience, you’ll share in an entertaining group experience.

“Improv was one of the best things for me, when I was facing a serious illness,” Ealy said. “I’d have fun, just forget. You get to pretend — just be anything, do anything.”

The bottom line is that even when things aren’t funny, we can find ways to have fun. We may have to work at it but, in fact, the worse things are the more our bodies and mind need the benefits of laughter and playing. These moments strengthen us in body and soul, reminding us that our problems don’t need to be all-encompassing, all of the time.

As children, we once laughed freely at the smallest of things. As adults, we may have to make a more conscious effort to let play and humor renew our sense of meaning and well-being. We can start that journey, each and every day, with a smile — brightening not just our own lives, but the lives of those around us.

This story first appeared in the August 2017 edition of U Magazine. To view the entire edition, click here

5 Fun Ways to Laugh Out Loud 1. Use Conditional TrainingFake a laugh every time you take a shower, open a door, or put on your shoes. The act itself isn’t funny but you can begin to associate it with fun if you try … replacing the habit of feeling down with a more uplifting approach.2. Sing Away the BlahsSing any song you choose with “Haa” instead of words — especially useful if you can’t remember lyrics anyway. Get more ridiculous by using kitty-cat sounds (meow), barking, or quacking. Kids love to join in on this one! Excellent entertainment on long car rides.3. Laugh Away Your ChoresDaunted by daily, repetitive tasks? Say “haaa haaa haa” as you empty the dishwasher or do the laundry. The silly sounds will help you to breathe a little more deeply and add a lighter tone to tedious tasks. You’ll be done before you know it!4. Become a Laughter AficionadoPractice smiling in front of a mirror. How many different types of smiles can you come up with? Start with big, little, crooked, sly, and pretty — and then expand your repertoire. When you’re ready, give laughing a try: chuckle, cackle, giggle, titter, and snort. It’s hard to take yourself seriously when laughing out loud.5. Try an Online Laughter Wellness WorkshopLaughter Online University (LOU) offers a free 20-minute demo Laughter Wellness Session that is surprisingly effective. Follow LOU Founder and CEO Sebastien Gendry through a series of simple laughter exercises that will move you from skeptical to silly within a matter of minutes.