learn to laugh more

more deeply ... more easily ... more often

 




Why might laughter be helpful for people with M.E. ?


"As you can see there are just so many ways to do silly things which make you laugh ... Feedback from the group was that the session was therapeutic, energizing, fun and full of useful tips. So thanks Jo for running a great session and providing all the laughter facts , it is safe to say you are a funny guy!" Nottingham M.E. Self-Help Group


“He encouraged the funny side of each one of us to slowly emerge and before we knew where we were, laughter filled the room! He encouraged us to have little quiet times, because he knows that laughing can be tiring. I must say I used chuckle muscles that obviously haven’t used in a long time because I began to ache a little in places I didn’t know I had!  He managed to bring out the humorous side of each of us. It was really good fun and if Jo comes back to do another laughter workshop, I’ll be first in line to get to laugh myself silly!" The Edinburgh ME Self-Help Newsletter.

 

Many of the benefits of laughter are particularly relevant to people with health problems. After coming out of seven years living with M.E. (Myalgic Encephalopathy), one of the directions I enjoy most is working with various M.E.  groups around the country, organising gentle laughter workshops which fit their needs.

 

So why might laughter be so helpful if you have M.E. ? well ...

 

· Laughter is gentle form of aerobic exercise

Physical exercise is a real problem for all of us, but laughter can provide us with some of the benefits in a very gentle way: increasing our blood flow, helping to keep the heart active, expanding the lungs


· Laughter is a way to gently tone muscles

Laughing uses your stomach muscles, which are important in preserving core stability and preventing problems like back-pain and hernia. Laughter gives us a safe and undemanding way to keep these muscles strong.

· Laughter raises your white-blood cell count

These are the cells that fight off infections - a recurrent problem for most of us with M.E. In studies of the blood of people who had laughed more, white-blood cell levels were up significantly. See this article from The Times

· Laughter lowers stress

All of us with M.E. have plenty of stress to deal with, and much of the recent research into the illness suggests that overactive adrenal glands may play in a role in our symptoms. But tests have shown that laughter reduces the levels of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, taking the strain off our overworked adrenals. (For a summary of Dr Lee Berk's research in this area read this article in The Guardian)

· Laughter lifts your mood

When you laugh, your brain releases more endorphins - the chemicals that keep you happy and help you sleep. Sharing a good laugh - and learning to laugh more often - can ensure a good level of endorphins in the blood throughout the day. In itself, a better mood makes you feel more up and energised, and so adds that little bit to the amount that you can do if your energy levels are very low. Click here for more research on laughter and endorphins.

· Laughter can provide pain relief

Increased endorphin levels can have other benefits too, as they are a natural painkiller. So if you suffer from joint and muscle pain, as so many of us with M.E. do, this can ease the symptoms. You may have read Norman Cousins' book Anatomy of an Illness, which documents the writer's use of regular laughter to keep on top of his arthritic pain. The "Rx laughter" project in the USA is developing laughter as a pain-relief technique for a wide range of groups, including chemotherapy patients. See: www.rxlaughter.org

· Laughter teaches you to make the best use of your lungs

 

According to yoga and M.E. expert Fiona Agombar "most people with M.E. ... come in breathing too fast from the upper chest, which exacerbates muscle aches, low energy and poor sleep" (Interaction Magazine issue 57, p.9 September 2006). Laughter stretches and loosens the muscles of the chest, and teaches you the benefits of breathing fully and deeply. The ideal way to develop the habits of deeper, more relaxing breathing.

I've lived with M.E. for eight years, and rely on laughter to maintain my health. So while laughter isn't a cure, it's certainly one of the things that helps keep my energy up, my body ticking over, and my immune system in a good state.

To organise a laughter workshop for your M.E. group email jo.eadie@laughternetwork.co.uk





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email me at: jo@joeadie.co.uk

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