By LeAnn Thieman

The overwhelming demands of caregiving frequently exhaust the caregiver physically, mentally and spiritually. Often, you get so caught up in ministering to another, you forget to eat, sleep, exercise—and laugh. Yes, laugh!

“How can I laugh at a time like this?” many ask. “Is it OK?”

Not only is it OK, it’s imperative.

Laughing is one of the most effective, yet forgotten, coping skills. Medical studies prove laughter lowers blood pressure, increases lung and heart performances, decreases stress, exercises abdominal and facial muscles, boosts immune systems and even increases the production of tumor and virus-killing cells. Besides all that, it’s free, has no side effects and feels good!
Laughter, like other rhythmic actions, releases endorphins—our bodies’ “feel good medicines”—in our brains. Think about the last time you enjoyed a hearty belly laugh. Remember how good you felt when you finally caught your breath? How much lighter your chest was? How there seemed to be, literally, a weight lifted from your shoulders?

I’ve been privileged to read thousands of true stories from caregivers. Time and time again they shared how laughter helped them through their toughest times.
A loving daughter sat for months at the bedside of her ailing father who was confused and rarely spoke. Still, she chatted away, trying to communicate with him. One day she ran out of things to say, so she began singing. Unfortunately, she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but crooned, “I love you. You love me. We’re a great big family.”

Her daddy opened his eyes and spoke for the first time in days. “I love you too, honey,” he said. “But you don’t have to sing about it.”

Laughter, she wrote, helped her reclaim some joy in what seemed to be a hopeless situation.

Obviously, we should never laugh at another person, yet laughing with them can be a blessing to both. Many infirmed people insist that just hearing laughter boosts their spirits. When we laugh at someone else’s silly antics, they often laugh along with us, offering them, too, all the healthy benefits mentioned above.

Sometimes, though, it’s hard to find the humor in a situation. Yet to endure the daily challenges, that’s exactly what caregivers must seek.

If there are too few laughing occasions during your days, create them. As you care for someone, think back to what used to make them laugh. And what used to make you laugh? Recall the favorite I Love Lucy episodes, knock-knock jokes or funny family escapades and reintroduce them into your lives.

Remember, laugher soothes the soul and weary mind. It is, indeed, the best medicine.

LeAnn Thieman is a speaker, nurse and co-author of Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul.