Experts believe that laughter can really make a difference when it comes to productivity, and its needed now more than ever as a year of isolation from friends, family, as well as co-workers, has contributed to feelings of burnout.
Although making time for laughter might not seem like a priority, experts say its effects on the brain can not only boost our mood, but also our productivity. Daniel Sgroi, an economics professor at the UK’s University of Warwick, said laughter can trigger the activation of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, both of which are considered mood-boosting hormones. He explained that laughter fast tracks networks in the brain to help the person concentrate and focus, working as the equivalent of productivity boost.
“There is some evidence in neuroscience that just forcing yourself to laugh can generate some of these effects but then they are much less pronounced than if it’s a genuine procedure,” Sgroi said. “The link between happiness and productivity has been around for a while, but it’s only been more recently discovered that people who are happy, work harder.” Sgroi says it’s almost like being happy, generates more time. Someone who is happy might be able to do in one hour what it takes someone who is less happy to do in an hour and 20 minutes.
Sophie Scott, director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, said laughter also helps to reduce the level of adrenaline and cortisol in the body, which are known as the anxiety and stress hormones. “You get an increased uptake of endorphins when you have been laughing and those are the body’s natural painkillers.” Scott said humans seem to use endorphins as a bonding mechanism.
She explained that people tend to do things that are associated with the release of endorphins, like laughing with other people, so these activities are actually reinforcing one’s sense of being affiliated with those people.
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Sabina Brennan, a neuroscientist, believes that keep a laughter stash of things you find funny to tap into when needed, can be helpful for getting that boost. “I think an important point to make is that one of the signs of chronic stress is a loss of a sense of humor, and it can steal that sense of humor and rob you of the ability to see the funny side of life.” She pointed out how humor does help us cope with the unthinkable, which could be one reason why people sometimes find themselves laughing at inappropriate times. “My own theory around that is it’s like that pressure cooker release that your brain knows that hold on, you’re dealing with something actually horrific.”
Sgroi highlighted the use of mood induction procedures in behavioral science to prompt physical reactions like laughter. Watching videos, listening to music, reading a joke, talking to a funny friend or having a recording that makes you laugh, can all help to generate the mood that you need.
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