The Health Benefits of Laughter for Children

The benefits of laughter

Genuine laughter is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. It makes the person laughing feel alive and liberated, and those surrounding the noise are filled with joy. Laughing really is the best medicine.

Hearty, humorous laughter benefits the body in many ways. It can:

Offer pain relief

Studies have proven that the effects of endorphins (morphine-like chemicals) can create ‘natural highs’ that raise the natural pain threshold. Released from the pituitary gland in the brain, these laughter-caused endorphins offer protection against some pains and stimulate a ‘feel good’ feeling. This effectively slows down the rate in which pain is felt.

For example, Dr Margaret Stuber, a psychiatrist at the University of California, conducted a study in which healthy children were asked to submerge their hands in icy water for as long as possible. When combined with the watching of a funny video, the children were able to submerge their hands for 40% longer. The findings suggest that humorous distraction could be used in clinical settings to help children better handle painful procedures. The group demonstrated significantly greater pain tolerance.

Alleviate stress & depression

Laughter involves a number of body systems: respiratory, muscular, circulatory, and gastrointestinal. When we laugh, these body systems get a good workout – breathing becomes more rapid, blood pressure is elevated, and muscles are tightened. As laughter subsides, breathing slows and deepens, becomes more regular, and the heart rate, pulse, muscles and blood pressure temporarily return to below their resting levels. Essentially, system dysfunctions that cause stress are mediated by laughter.

A research study led by L Fonzi et al. shows that laughter can improve mood and offers help in counteracting symptoms of depression. Laughter is able to moderate negative consequences of stressful events on psychological well-being and the favourable effects of laughter on social relationships and physical health may have a role in influencing the ability of depressed patients to face the disease.

Boost the immune system

According to an article published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, laughter increases the levels of a natural killer cell, a type of white blood cell that attacks cancer cells and other diseases. The boosting of these natural killer cells increases patient resistance by improving immune response.

Massage the abdominal organs

Organs in the abdominal region, including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas and kidneys, are vital in the overall functioning of your body. Belly laughing effectively massages the abdominal organs, increasing their blood flow and improving function, while toning intestinal functioning.

Re-energise the body

Laughing forces air out of the lungs, and causes us to take deep inward breaths. When we deep breathe, the flow of oxygen is increased right around the body, the result being a more energised feeling.

Aid with sleep

A good laugh before bed reduces the feelings of anxiety and promotes deep, restful sleep, which is an essential part of the healing process. As well as reducing anxiety, which can keep you awake at night, laughing offers a mild aerobic workout that can lead to richer sleep.

Make everyone feel brighter

It’s not just the patients that go through a hard time when facing illness. Families suffer too, as do the doctors and nurses that care for the sick. By filling a room with laughter, every person receives a lift in spirits, and that healthy spirit is contagious. More laughter equates to more happy people.

How Clown Doctors Australia uses laughter to heal

Clown Doctors address the physiological needs of the child in hospital by parodying the hospital routine. They help children feel less traumatised by medical procedures, by having fun with oversized equipment, ‘red nose’ transplants, ‘cat’ scans, humour checks, and funny bone examinations. By exaggerating intimidating jargon and procedures, fear and anxiety are reduced.

The laughter provided by the Clown Doctors allows a child to forget their illness for a moment and return to a world of fantasy and play. Special moments are created and, even long after a Clown Doctor visit, children’s spirits remain uplifted.

Tips for creating your own ‘laughing moments’

Anytime is good to have laughter in our children’s lives! Laughing is a crucial part of general wellbeing, and a happy child is a healthier child!

Try…

• Two words – tickle fight!
• Sing a nursery rhyme, and mess up the words or change the story to include funny words.
• Play ‘Red light/Green light’, but substitute red light for a funny word.
• See who can make the best funny face.
• Tell jokes.
• Pretend you are sleeping (cue exaggerated snores) then wake up startled and give them a fright.
• Insist that under no circumstances can your child laugh or smile (reverse psychology can work a treat!)

Bellamy’s Organic partners with Clown Doctors Australia

This year, we were excited to announce a new corporate partnership between ourselves and Clown Doctors Australia. Having touched the lives of more than 180,000 sick children, families and hospital staff, we at Bellamy’s Organic were perplexed to discover the Clown Doctors receive no government or hospital funding and rely solely on the support of the community to keep local programs going.

With Tasmanian roots (just like Bellamy’s Organic), it seemed fitting for us to enter a national partnership, with the core focus of both organisations being the support and wellbeing of children across Australia.  The Bellamy’s Organic mission is to provide a pure start to life for babies and young children through healthy eating practices, while Clown Doctors Australia strives to promote the physiological and psychological benefits of laughter. Hand in hand, these organisations can make a big difference to the overall health of young children.

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