Laughter therapy is a technique that, through different dynamics designed to generate positive emotions, provokes smiles, laughter and laughter. Laughter therapy improves people’s physical and psychological health, but it also promotes socialization and interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, having a good sense of humor helps us overcome the difficulties that life poses.
As we age, we lose our natural tendency to laugh. The good news is that we can learn to laugh again. We just have to practice and read jokes, memes, comic stories and watch monologues, since they also help to enhance this skill.
In NAMI they saw firsthand the benefits of laughter. “We organized a laughter therapy workshop for the residents, because we thought it was an original activity that could also improve their quality of life. An activity that has been very well received by older people,” says the center’s occupational therapist, Francina Sevilla.
Group dynamics
Laughter therapy is recommended for people of any age, you just have to adapt the sessions to the profile of your participants. Since laughter is contagious, the workshops are carried out in groups. This is how Sevilla explains it: “The residents sit around the technician who teaches the session, who proposes a series of dynamics adapted to their cognitive and emotional level.”
At first, the dynamics are gentle, with the aim of the group relaxing and the participants releasing shame and tension. Little by little, the sessions are animated with more interactive games: dances, body language, balloon dynamics, etc. Initially, the smile, laughter and laughter are timidly provoked and emerge artificially, but soon they flow spontaneously and naturally.
Main benefits of laughter
- When we laugh we secrete endorphins, a hormone that activates the brain’s pleasure centers and blocks pain.
- It also contributes to the secretion of two other important hormones: dopamine, which improves mental agility, and serotonin, which has an analgesic effect and regulates sleep.
- Improves blood oxygen levels, which means that the body and mind are more agile. Thus, it improves psychomotor skills and enhances intellectual abilities.
- Laughter and laughter can relax the body and, as a consequence, the immune system works better. It is, therefore, a perfect antidote that protects our health. “When we laugh, we stimulate the cognitive, social and sensory areas,” says Sevilla.
- Fights stress and anxiety. Therefore, it relieves depressive symptoms and improves cardiovascular health. People who laugh more and face life with a sense of humor have lower levels of cortisol in their blood, which is the hormone released in response to stress.
- Increases social skills and facilitates communication. Enhancing positive emotions improves the ability to relate to other people.
- Improves your mood and helps you think positively. “Therapies of this type serve to reinforce the residents’ self-esteem,” adds Sevilla. In addition, laughing helps manage emotions and provides tools to face difficult situations.
After participating in a laughter therapy workshop, people claim to feel more satisfied with their lives, motivated and willing to be happy. Therefore, this technique is an excellent alternative to improve the quality of life of older people. “In fact, we are considering organizing a laughter therapy session again,”.
What more reasons do you need to practice laughter and develop a sense of humor?
