ROFL'ing, LoL'ing, snorting, giggling, belly laughing – no matter how we do it, one thing’s for sure: laughing feels great. And it turns out this feel-good factor can reap fantastic physical and mental benefits for us. That’s right - forget the old ‘apple a day’ saying: it seems that the real key to ongoing wellbeing is a chuckle a day!

The research doesn’t joke around – laughter is actually physically and mentally beneficial for us - and it’s contagious; think of it as the only virus anyone would want to catch! According to medical research institute Mayo Clinic, the short-term benefits of laughter are many. Laughter enhances our intake of air, stimulating our heart and lungs. It is also a fantastic stress-reliever and tension-soother, releasing endorphins (feel-good hormones) throughout our body. 

But there are less obvious, long-term benefits too. Did you know that 10-15 minutes of laughter a day can burn up to 40 calories? Laughing also affects our physiology in other ways, including improving the function of blood vessels and increased blood flow - great to protect against cardiovascular problems. A study conducted in Norway in 2015 even found that having a strong sense of humour could even make us live longer!

Workplace banter 

Laughing with colleagues actually improves office productivity. One study suggests that fun and friendly banter with colleagues leads to improved team performance, creativity and innovation - and camaraderie. The trick to nailing humour at work? Erring on the side of safety - keep jokes appropriate and non-offensive (especially when testing out a new stand-up routine while the boss is around). Of course when it comes to jokes, timing is everything - use the couple of minutes before or after a meeting to liven up the mood, rather than while a colleague is on an important conference call.

Humour hacks

So, what’s the recommended daily laughter intake to reap the benefits? While 10-15 minutes of solid laughing is enough to burn the equivalent of one-and-a-half pieces of chocolate, generally the more we laugh, the better. Here are some simple ways to bring a little more laughter into life:

• Listen to a podcast or watch a stand-up routine from a favourite comedian
• Join a laughter club or practice laughter yoga 
• Watch some funny video clips on YouTube
• Do something fun and childish - anything from singing really loudly in the bathroom to rolling down a hill!
• Hang around people who make us laugh regularly
• Keep a journal of all the funny moments that have happened in our lives  - looking back on the memories is always a great pick-me-up whenever you need a boost.

There’s no doubt that a life full of laughter can only be a good thing, but the ultimate trick to enjoying more humour in our lives is to first understand ourselves. Know the style of humour we gravitate towards, as well as what and who make us laugh. Once we know that, it becomes a matter of making an effort to spend more time doing the things that humour us and hanging around the people who tickle our funny bones. Remember, a laugh a day is all it takes to start seeing the world in a more positive and relaxed light!