Should you make laughing therapy part of your self-care regime?

LOL. We’ve all read or used this prolific abbreviation in WhatsApp chats and Instagram DMs for years now. But recently, I put it to the ultimate test when I booked my first-ever laughter therapy session. LOL indeed.

Many experts believe that laughter can have multiple positive benefits for a person. In fact, it has been medically proven to relieve stress by releasing endorphins–nature’s painkillers–into a person’s bloodstream. The immediate effect of laughing is supposed to make you feel a sense of relief and release, and have a correlating positive impact on overall well-being. For example, one study at UCLA found that minors who watched funny content had an increased tolerance for medical procedures. Interestingly, the laughter doesn’t even need to be genuine in nature to reap the health benefits–just the sheer act of laughing does the trick.

So if this is true, why is it that the majority of us aren’t already practising laughing therapy to improve our day-to-day health? Perhaps we should cancel our personal trainers or gym memberships and instead take a page out of a kid’s playbook. Armed with this knowledge, I walked into a wellness studio in Dubai with absolutely no idea of what to expect. Would I be forced to chuckle incessantly at a white wall? Would there be a set routine of stretches or meditation? Or was this going to be just a twist on the classic one-on-one therapy session? The possibilities seemed endless…and slightly terrifying.

The warm-up exercise was a series of dance moves performed in a circle with others who had also signed up. While we showed off our fancy footwork, we were instructed to laugh; first with an entry-level giggle, gradually building to a full-blown guffaw. It certainly broke the ice. But as time went on, it became increasingly difficult to maintain consistent breathing and I found myself struggling, much like in some of my early HIIT gym workouts. Next were scenario-based games during which we were asked to pretend as if we were on a school bus with our best friends, imitated riding a fast-moving train and even had a laughing/staring contest with the person next to us. It might sound like fun, but let me tell you, when you need to make eye contact with a stranger for three minutes straight whilst laughing continuously at the same time, you understand what real discomfort feels like.

As an extroverted Zoomer and people person who is very comfortable in social settings, I was surprised by how challenging it all was. It might have only lasted minutes, but it seemed like hours of my life were ticking by as the eyes of someone I didn’t know stared deep into what felt like my inner consciousness. When the three-minute timer finally went off though, I miraculously felt 10 kilograms lighter. If I could handle someone laughing boldly right into my face, all other challenges somehow immediately felt surmountable.

Afterwards, I honestly wondered why I hadn’t tried this kind of treatment sooner. I came out of the class feeling more comfortable in my own skin and less stressed about dealing with day-to-day struggles. I found myself letting go of unnecessary mental baggage and fears along with my constant fatigue, and feeling the best I had in months.

This article originally appeared in Harper's Bazaar Arabia