Coming to Our Senses: A Universal Burnout Cure that Won't Cost You a Thing

In the second week of our summer series, Coming to Our Senses. Summer is a time when we all try to unplug from our busy lives, just a little bit. And while vacations can be rejuvenating, we also want to arm ourselves with techniques to use every single day to feel better.

So my team and continue on our path guided by experts to ACTUALLY experience the methods they use to wake up the feelings and senses we often ignore.  Why? Well, becoming more aware of these is essential to building the muscle of self-awareness, enhancing well-being, reducing stress, heightening connection and so much more. 

We’ve taken you on deep dives into one area- laughter, touch, sound, and smell. This week is all about laughter.

When was the last time you unabashedly laughed?

In their book, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, Emily Nagoski Ph.D. and Amelia Nagoski, D.M.A share that laughter, while often overlooked, is one effective way to recover from stress. Because as they famously shared, removing the stressor is not the same as recovering from the stress itself.

A few weeks back I found myself sitting on the floor of LinkedIn’s video studio, looking at 23 other people, all laughing so hard we were crying. Our teacher, Francine Shore, a longtime laughter yoga instructor, told me later that these hour-long sessions of busting up with a group of strangers from around the world is what got her and her regular attendees through the worst of the pandemic. 

It was my first time. And most people I‘ve talked to about it since stare wide-eyed and curious or even get a bit shy when I tell them I tried it. Mostly, I think they’re curious. So what was the class like? Well, first off, it wasn't what I expected. There were no body twists or contortions like a yoga class.

It was really about giving yourself over to laughter for no good reason. Despite what we might think, we don't need a reason or a punchline to laugh. So yes, the class was a lot of fun. How could it not be? When I dug into the research, what it suggested is that studies are finding that even when we force laughter, we can still lower stress hormones like cortisol, which help improve how we feel. Additionally, effectively using laughter to minimize short-term and long-term stresses can significantly improve the quality of life.

Our class walked through a few exercises I’d encourage you to try, even if it feels awkward at first. You’ll notice your mood improves. 

What you can try... 

1. Take three deep breathes, in through your nose and out through your mouth. On the final exhale instead of simply breathing out through your mouth, laugh the breath out.
2. Sit straight-faced in the mirror and with your index finger, push the left side of your mouth into the position of a smile. Follow with the right side of your mouth. When you're done, open your mouth and start laughing. Start over every time the laughter stops.
3. Put out your dominant hand, palm up. Imagine you're holding a jar in that hand labeled "laughter cream." It does what the label says, so as soon as it's on you, you can't stop laughing. Using your first three fingers of your non dominant hand, pretend to scoop cream out of the jar and apply it to your face. Yes, this one takes some imagination, but it works. You can even try it with a friend.

Don’t Forget...

According to more recent research, even forced laughter is linked to physical changes in the body that reduce stress and increase pain tolerance (Louie D, Brook K, Frates E. The Laughter Prescription: A Tool for Lifestyle Medicine. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jun 23;10(4):262-267. doi: 10.1177/1559827614550279. PMID: 30202281; PMCID: PMC6125057).

A quote worth remembering... 

"We deserve to improve our moods because Leah, how? How do we deal with all these stresses? We have to find a way out. So, we integrate deep breathing, we integrate meditation, we integrate laughter exercises because that is our way out."

- Francine Shore

Dig Deeper... 

Check out cognitive neuroscientist, Sophie Scott's TED talk on laughter.

Here's a study to check out about the observed benefits of laughter therapy.

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In the Arena is LinkedIn News’ weekly human potential podcast hosted by (me) Leah Smart. You’ll hear from some of the world's brightest minds and bravest hearts about how to show up daily to live a better & more meaningful life. Each week, this newsletter shares learnings and practices connected to the conversations. This week, we're examining the positive benefits of purposeful laughter. Subscribe to the show's newsletter here.