Access
This article is part of Nature's premium content.
Published online 7 April 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.741
News
How to laugh away stress
Just thinking about laughing makes you feel better.
They say that laughter is the best medicine, and now research is beginning to prove that this adage might be truer than we think. Laughter has long been known to make people happier, but a new study has shown that even anticipating a good laugh is good for your health.
To read this story in full you will need to login or make a payment (see right).
Comments
Reader comments are usually moderated after posting. If you find something offensive or inappropriate, you can speed this process by clicking 'Report this comment' (or, if that doesn't work for you, email webadmin@nature.com). For more controversial topics, we reserve the right to moderate before comments are published.
The research is exciting and significant. And the authors of the paper are both lucky and making big hit: laughther is considered to contribute to health since long time ago. Now the scientific evidence and mechanism are on their way to make debut in front of us. But the further investigation will not be so easy. Good Luck!
Some tricky experiments on this will have to be first conducted on mice! But, how will they proceed? will they succeed in teaching the mice how to laugh! ha! ha!
Very true, can be tested any time. It is nice that such an old phenomenon/observation will now be biochemically and clinically proven through the extensive research studies. In India, several yoga postures first ask the practitioner to relax and bring a pure smile on the face before one starts Asanas. Also a laughter Yoga is performed by a large number of people in groups where they laugh and laugh and the infectious laugh spreads and people start really laughing without any reason at that point of time. This makes burdened mind so light and stress free. No wonder mood elevating hormone are released in large quantities....
Indeed, we should laugh every day in order to get a better mood in our daily work and life. Wish everyone have a good day!!!
A fantastic article to research,the concept that largh can be a kind of medicine which can cure some diseases has been accepted by many people. But we still do not know how to formulate some laugh methods to make it like a true medicine to cure specific diseases.I have been expecting it.
It is a fantastic article,of course nothing new except its clinical studies.In India,Yoga and lagughing are natural therapy to overcome stress, control over desires, and of course on mind.These are from ages just to get our mind and body relaxed.Like wise, different forms of music,classical dances,singings, massages by oils,humour, jokes, etc have similar effects.If permitted to say,in adults, one should remain just sexy.Be sexy.Just do it.....I mean, simple living habits. Enjoy your life as much as you can.Enjoy youthfulness.Just love yourself, your all family members and this whole universe.
I wish to further add socialization, worship( Surrendering yourself to almighty God), sometime weeping/crying too have similar effects as the laughing.These all gives us strength/vitality/creativity.