Laughter Improves Anxiety & Depression
Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.
~Japanese Proverb
Anxiety and depression are the leading causes of disability worldwide, and the pandemic increased the numbers of people who experience them. Many people experience both anxiety and depression, and many do not receive adequate treatment.
Symptoms of anxiety include:
Excessive worry
Fatigue
Weakness, and
Rapid heart rate.
Symptoms of depression include:
Bad mood
Decreased motivation and diminished interest
Sleep disturbances
Slow thinking and memory loss
Loss of appetite, and
Suicidal thoughts.
Scientists were interested in the impact of humor therapy on anxiety and depression. Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 29 research studies that included 2,964 participants from 9 countries. Participants included children undergoing surgery, college students, retired women, nursing home residents, and adult patients being treated for kidney disease, cancer, and Parkinson’s disease.
Prior research indicates that humor therapy can reduce stress, and improve immune, respiratory, and cardiovascular functions. “Humor therapy is defined by the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor as interventions that promote physical well-being while promoting emotional, cognitive, social, or spiritual healing through the playful discovery, expression, or appreciation of absurd or incongruous situations in life.”
Humor therapy is any activity that induces laughter. In this meta-analysis, researchers discovered that most of the participants thought humor therapy improved their anxiety or depression, and that humor significantly impacts mood, perception, attitude, and judgment.
Takeaway: Activities that make you laugh are likely to improve your mood and attitude, and they can decrease anxiety and depression symptoms.
Well-being is a journey, not a quick fix.
The Legal Brain: A Lawyer’s Guide to Well-being and Better Job Performance is available on Amazon and Cambridge University Press (AUSTIN24 at checkout for 20% discount from Cambridge).
One reviewer said:
Debra Austin has broken important and highly useful ground with this thorough, fascinating examination of how lawyers think, feel, and behave, offering countless insights into aspects of the lawyer mindset that can harm our mental health, diminish our well-being, and handicap our performance. Blending abundant research with her own keen observations and expertise, she has also created a well-organized, easy-to-follow roadmap for lawyers to optimize their brain health and enhance their overall well-being. On every level, this book is time very well spent.
Patrick Krill, JD, LL.M., MA, Founder and Principal, Krill Strategies
Source
Xuefeng Sun, The impact of humor therapy on people suffering from depression or anxiety: An integrative literature review - Sun - 2023 - Brain and Behavior - Wiley Online Library, Brain and Behavior, June 21, 2023.
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