This month I decided to change direction and write about laughter and smiling, investigating the beneficial effects they can have on one’s health.
Why, you might ask, should I choose such a topic. Partially because during the covid crisis articles have appeared daily in the press telling us how to manage the stress that so many feel at the moment.
However I had an additional reason. For the past two years I have had medical issues which, whilst not life threatening, were uncomfortable. I endured multiple tests with many different doctors and after each one was told there was nothing to be concerned about. But symptoms continued until eventually yet another specialist suggested it might be helpful to speak with a ‘psychological therapist’ to resolve these problems.
Having studied psychology at university I had no problem with this and was interested to see what it involved. I was to be guided by a local NHS hospital team and after an initial introductory meeting was told that I was waitlisted for an appointment.
And so I waited…… and waited. For five months I was telephoned twice monthly by a girl at the hospital to enquire how I was. Eventually I asked her when I might see someone. She replied “ Oh I don’t know that, all I have to do is ring to ask how you are.” My reaction was to burst out laughing and at that same instant make the decision to sort it out for myself.
Instinctively I felt that to be happy and cheerful despite what is going on around us was the direction to follow and began looking at my average day, trying to identify stress and negative feelings and work out to avoid them.
The first area I identified concerned my pilates exercise classes, cancelled during covid with the result that instead I was doing 45 minutes daily exercise at home. I had grown irritated with this, but then thought ‘No, this is the wrong attitude’ and lectured myself on the benefits such exercises have for body and mind. Amazingly it worked! I felt happy doing them!
I also determined to remain cheerful, no matter what. Never to watch depressing, violent or political T.V. – especially the news – instead selecting programmes focusing on humour, creativity and suchlike. I began vigorously walking and now achieve 8000 – 10,000 steps daily. I find being outdoors, regardless of the weather, essential for my well being – not just observing nature – but also giving me the chance to chat with passers by.
Also on my ‘To Do’ list is meditation (well, ok, ten minutes of deep breathing), gardening and writing my stories. I began singing, 20 years ago, completed all the grades at Trinity College and continue until today with a weekly zoom lesson. The only way I can describe the feeling singing gives me is ‘pure unadulterated happiness’. It should be prescribed on the national health.
Eventually two NHS staff arrived at my home for a consultation. After talking with them for an hour, they said “Ruth, there is absolutely nothing we can do to help you – you are doing it all yourself. You are an inspiration, may we quote you”. Praise indeed! thanks to positive thinking!
Around the same time a friend sent me a poem, by Spike Milligan, a talented British comedian who died 20 years ago.
Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin.
When he smiled I realised I’d passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile, then I realised its worth.
A single smile, just like mine could travel round the earth
So, if you feel a smile begin, don’t leave it undetected.
Let’s start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!
This spiked (excuse the pun!) my interest and led to the discovery that both smiling and laughter have been studied extensively for centuries, such as why humans smile, what does it mean when we do and so on – very complex, very interesting.
SHARE A GOOD LAUGH AND LOWER THE RISK OF BAD HEALTH! – (The Times 19.1.22)
One study in 2010 showed that genuine intense smiling is associated with a longer life. Whilst more research is needed to discover why this happens, it is generally agreed that maintaining a happy, positive mood is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. The same goes for relieving stress and reducing pain and it certainly elevates ones mood.
What is even better to know is that in medical terms smiling strengthens the immune system and can reduce blood pressure. To achieve this it triggers the release of dopamine which activates the immune system, creating a greater number of antibodies in the blood.
To say that ‘laughter is the best medicine’ is not just a popular proverb but is true wisdom, to the extent that even when someone fakes smiling or laughter it also works – a message goes to the brain, the brain is tricked, thinks you are happy, releases dopamine and good things begin to happen.
Many people are today becoming more aware of this through Laughter Yoga. I had heard of it, but had no idea how widespread it has become. Look on the internet – there are hundreds of photos of laughing, smiling people having fun and even just seeing them makes you feel good…
This form of yoga is now acknowledged as one of the therapies in the field of GELOTOLOGY (a new word for me and possibly for you) being the study of laughter and its effects on the body from both psychological and physiological perspectives.
Another recommended activity closely linked to the above and equally important is socialisation. We humans are social animals by nature and tend to function better as part of a community. Sadly loneliness and isolation has been one of the factors affecting many during covid.
People are being urged to make an effort to talk to those they encounter throughout the day. This not only staves off feelings of loneliness but can also sharpen memory, cognitive skills and lead to a longer happier life. This applies even if the communication happens via mobiles and computer.
When we have positive social interaction, our bodies release oxytocin, a hormone which lowers anxiety, improves focus and concentration and makes us feel good. It also boosts our immune, cardiovascular and neuroendocrine systems. Social interaction is today considered as important as having regular exercise and avoiding high blood pressure, obesity and smoking, leading to a longer fitter life.
I have long been aware of the need to talk to others. Moving from Manchester to London years ago was a real shock to the system. Up there we talk to everyone, here in London most people don’t. I felt as though I was from another planet when I first arrived. However during covid there has been a marked increase in the number of passers by smiling and chatting to me and others – let’s hope it becomes a regular habit…
The need for this has been recognised, particularly by supermarkets where today one can easily do ‘automated shopping’ – buying everything and even paying for it by phone without the need to interact with anyone. For some this may be fine, for others, those whose weekly shopping trip is an event, sometimes the high spot of their week, chatting with the check out girl is one of its pleasures.
In Holland the Jumbo supermarket chain launched ‘slow checkouts’ last year in 200 stores in an effort to tackle loneliness, particularly amongst the elderly. This has now been copied by the French Carrefour chain who have installed ‘blablabla caisses’ – or ‘chit-chat checkouts’ in 150 of their stores.
Chit-chat checkouts offer bags of joy to the isolated (The Times, March 2022
These “chat checkouts” are primarily intended for the elderly or socially isolated, but they have also been designed with cashiers in mind, some of whom will no doubt appreciate some extra human contact in their workday. I know what I prefer – and hope Waitrose and Marks & Spencer will read this and take note!
Whilst on the subject of humour, in December 2017 I wrote a moving story on my blog called ‘Send in the Clowns’- Working Their Magic’ about the Dream Doctors organisation in Israel, who have teams of clowns working alongside medical staff in 34 Israeli hospitals. Since then I have seen these purveyors of happiness go from strength to strength demonstrating the effectiveness of their role in cheering up patients of all ages and backgrounds, supporting them emotionally and enabling them to relax before, after or during medical treatment.
(DuSH ( the founder) is holding zoom training sessions on the skills and techniques needed for working in disaster and humanitarian areas for clowns who are in Ukraine and other countries hosting refugees …
They also have clowns at the JNF Center in Ness Harim, Israel which is caring for women and children from an orphanage in Ukraine.
Only last week I received an email from them telling me of their latest response to this crisis “This morning a team of Dream Doctors began a 5 day relief mission to support the Ukrainian refugees in Moldova, involving direct hands-on work in the Kishinev refugee camp as well as travelling to the Ukraine-Moldova border passage to assist in the front line of incoming refugees. Another team will leave in a few days.”
Dream Doctors provide vital trauma intervention and innovative therapeutic clowning techniques to the many children and adults who were forced to flee their homes following Russia’s invasion. The Dream Team is on a mission to reach as many as they can of the vast number of refugees flooding absorption centres in Chisinau, as well as thousands more who are still stuck at the Moldova-Ukraine border crossing area.
Their remarkable devotion and professionalism has contributed hugely to humanitarian relief efforts all over the world. Wherever there is a disaster or crisis, they respond immediately. If you feel you would like to help them in their efforts, today there can be no finer way of helping the thousands of desperate people in need because of this tragic war. to find out more please contact:
http://www.dreamdoctors.org.il
and by the way, keep smiling
Unexpected Israel 