Discover how laughter and humor may support health by influencing cortisol and the body’s stress response, promoting relaxation, connection, and overall well-being.
When was the last time you had a really good laugh? Not just a polite chuckle, but the kind of laughter that makes your cheeks hurt, your eyes water, and your stomach ache afterward? There is something wonderfully human about laughter. It can lighten the mood, bring people together, make difficult moments feel a little more manageable, and remind people not to take every little thing quite so seriously. As it turns out, there may also be some legitimate health reasons to make room for more laughter in life.
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis published in PLOS ONE looked specifically at whether spontaneous laughter could affect the body’s stress response. Researchers analyzed eight interventional studies involving 315 adults. The studies used different ways of encouraging laughter, including watching comedy videos, participating in laughter sessions, and using a self-administered laughter program. When the results were combined, laughter interventions were associated with approximately a 32% reduction in cortisol levels compared with control activities. Interestingly, even a single laughter session was associated with a reduction in cortisol.
Cortisol is one of the hormones involved in the body’s stress response. It is not a “bad” hormone—our bodies need cortisol—but prolonged activation of the stress response can have negative effects on physical and psychological health. The researchers noted that their findings suggest spontaneous laughter may help buffer the body’s stress response and could potentially serve as a complementary strategy for supporting overall well-being. At the same time, the researchers acknowledged limitations in the available evidence and noted that more research is needed to understand the longer-term effects of laughter and humor on specific health conditions.
And laughter may offer benefits that go beyond what can be measured in a cortisol sample. Think about how someone may feel after laughing with a friend, watching a funny movie, hearing a ridiculous story, or spending time with someone who makes them laugh. Their shoulders may relax. Their mood may shift. They may temporarily stop worrying about whatever was bothering them. Humor can also create connection, and social connection is an important part of overall well-being. Sometimes a good laugh doesn’t change the situation—but it can change how a person experiences the situation.
Having a sense of humor can be especially valuable during stressful or frustrating times. There will always be unexpected problems, difficult days, and situations that don’t go according to plan. Being able to find something amusing in the middle of all that doesn’t mean a person isn’t taking life seriously. Sometimes it simply means giving the mind an opportunity to breathe, step back, and remember that not everything has to feel so heavy all the time.
Dr. Katrina Giangarra, DACM, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M., has a personal connection to the idea that humor can be beneficial. Her mother was a psychiatric nurse who understood the value of humor when working with her patients. She incorporated appropriate humor into her interactions with them and demonstrated that laughter could sometimes help people feel more comfortable, connected, and human. Her example taught Dr. Katrina that humor doesn’t erase someone’s problems and certainly isn’t appropriate for every situation, but when used thoughtfully, it can help create a little light during difficult moments.
That lesson has stayed with Dr. Katrina throughout her life and has become part of her personality as an acupuncturist. Anyone who knows her knows that she enjoys laughing, telling jokes, and finding humor in everyday situations. Naturally, that sense of humor occasionally makes its way into the acupuncture treatment room.
After all, Dr. Katrina is pretty good at getting to the point.
And when someone says their acupuncture treatment was relaxing, perhaps it is needle-ss to say, music to her ears.
She also believes that sometimes it is important to keep things pointed in the right direction.
The needles may be serious business, but that doesn’t mean the treatment room has to feel overly serious. Creating a comfortable and welcoming environment is important. If a little humor helps someone smile, relax, or feel more at ease, that can be a wonderful addition to the treatment experience.
There is an interesting connection between laughter and the relaxing experience many people report during acupuncture. Research into acupuncture continues to explore how treatment may influence the nervous system and pain-processing pathways, while the laughter research suggests genuine laughter can influence the body’s stress response. These are different areas of research and should not be confused with one another, but both serve as reminders that health involves more than a single symptom or diagnosis. Physical experiences, emotions, stress levels, relationships, environment, and daily habits can all be part of the bigger picture.
At Karma Zen Acupuncture, Dr. Katrina takes a whole-person approach to care. Depending on the individual and their goals, acupuncture may be combined with complementary therapies such as cupping, moxibustion, Gua Sha, infrared light therapy, or herbal medicine. Acupuncture and these complementary therapies are not substitutes for appropriate medical care, and neither laughter nor a good joke can cure an illness. However, supporting relaxation, making time for enjoyable activities, nurturing relationships, and finding opportunities to laugh can all be meaningful parts of a healthy lifestyle.
Perhaps laughter should be thought of as more than something that is simply nice to have. It is one of life’s simple pleasures, and research suggests it may also have a measurable effect on the body’s stress response. Watching a funny movie, sharing a joke with a friend, telling a ridiculous story, or simply spending time with people who make someone smile can be an easy way to bring more laughter into everyday life.
Of course, life isn’t always funny. Some situations are difficult, painful, and deserving of serious attention. Having a sense of humor doesn’t mean ignoring those moments. Instead, humor can sometimes provide a little breathing room when life becomes overwhelming.
And perhaps that is one of the most valuable lessons Dr. Katrina learned from her mother: laughter doesn’t have to fix everything to still be helpful.
So go ahead and laugh at the silly joke. Share the ridiculous story. Watch the comedy that always makes you laugh. Spend time with the people who bring out your smile. And don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself once in a while.
As for Dr. Katrina, she’ll probably continue making acupuncture puns because, apparently, she just can’t help herself.
After all, that’s just a little extra point of wellness.
When you feel better, you can live better—and sometimes feeling better starts with something as simple as a good laugh.
Research Source
Kramer CK, Leitao CB. Laughter as medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies evaluating the impact of spontaneous laughter on cortisol levels. PLOS ONE. 2023;18(5):e0286260.
