Episode 250: Behind The Science of Therapeutic Laughter

Hi guys, it's Tony Robbins.

You're listening to Habits and Hustle, Gresham.

Hello, and welcome back to Habits and Hustle Solo Edition, where we talk and explore a variety of different topics that are in the Zeitgeist that are of interest to me and to hopefully you guys as well.

And today's topic is the science of laughter, why we laugh and how it affects our brains and our physical and mental health.

I don't know about you, Shawnee, but I'm like a huge fan of comedy, of laughing.

It's like literally my favorite thing in the world to do.

A little good laugh.

Yeah.

A little belly laugh.

Right?

Yes.

And there's a, I think there is a reason why they say like laughter is the best medicine because it really, like it really is.

I mean, like nothing changes a mood or changes your emotional state better than like a good, hearty laugh.

Absolutely.

Right?

Oh my God, yeah.

I just love it.

So that's why I love stand-up.

So let's go into this a little bit more.

You know, like there is a lot of research backing how laughter really does like change not just the neuroplasticity in our brains, but our overall physical and emotional well-being.

That's why there's like laughter therapy.

There's like laughing yoga or whatever they call it.

Yeah, laughing yoga.

Laughing yoga.

My favorite thing.

Have you actually done it?

Yeah, I can't believe you've never done it.

It's like so much fun.

Yeah, I've never done laughing yoga.

So much fun.

I just like going, that's why, like, you know, I'm like hugely obsessed with stand-up comedians and like watching stand-up.

I can do that every single night of the week.

It's just, to me, I just love it.

Yeah, good.

Comedians are great.

Comedians, like, you know, I, every night I fall asleep to like watching some kind of Netflix comedy special.

But even the recent ones?

Listen, look, the recent ones haven't been so great.

I gotta be honest with you, but like,

it automatically changes my, if I'm like in a shitty mood, a sad mood, an angry mood, watching five minutes of comedy just shifts everything.

Yeah.

So this is why I think this is like a really good topic to really get into because there's like they can say gratitude.

They could say meditation.

They can say every other thing helps you with your mental health and like well-being.

I believe laughter is number one.

Well, laughing yoga is so interesting because it's not actual, like you're not laughing because you're watching like a really hilarious stand-up bit.

It's a a forced laughter at first you're all like in a i did this on the beach and laguna beach like my whole family was there on vacation and this circle of what looked like a cult just pulled us into their little laughing circle and you just laugh and then instinctually like Once everyone else starts laughing, you start laughing and then everyone's just laughing a lot and then you're just like laughing non-stop and then it's just this crazy like bout of laughter that is just so uncontrollable and it's so it's one of my favorite things.

It's so much fun.

You know, it reminds me of like yawning, you know, like when someone else starts, if someone starts to laugh,

I end up laughing because they're laughing and then I can't control my laughter and it goes back and forth.

And it's like usually the best belly laugh, the best uncontrollable laugh is like the best feeling ever.

100%.

Right.

And this is what they say.

So it actually does reduce stress hormones when we laugh.

Our bodies release endorphins, which are natural chemicals that make us feel good.

These endorphins can help reduce the levels of stress in our body, such as cortisol, which is like obviously the stress hormone, which has negative effects on our immune system.

It also increases our immune system function.

So laughter has been shown to increase the production of immune cells and antibodies, which help fight infections and illness.

It also increases the activity of natural killer cells, which are white blood cells that can attack cancer cells and viruses.

So

there's a lot of like, and that's what I'm saying, there's like a lot of like backed science, what laughter does to our bodies in a positive way, physically and mentally.

Well, I mean, cortisol is like my arch nemesis.

So anything to return to, by the way, it's everybody's archison.

My freaking arch nemesis.

It's everybody's.

I mean,

who likes cordisal?

Like, I don't, I can't, you know what I mean?

It's not something that people are like, oh, I love having my stress hormone, you know.

If there was like a villain in my life, like in my story arc, my existence, like cortisol would be like the villain, like the ultimate villain.

Like he would just be like the moufasa or whatever of like my, my story.

I think it's everybody's.

I really believe that.

So we talked about like the power of humor, laughter therapy.

What are the other types of forms of therapy besides yoga?

Art therapy.

That people could know, like in laughter.

Oh, there's like a lot of ways that you can use laughter to like help you with your physical and mental conditions.

I mean, it also helps with chronic pain because I guess you're forgetting about the pain that you have because you're focusing on like your

endorphins are also, I guess, your endorphins are releasing and you're just like distracted.

Do you talk about micro-dosing on this podcast at all?

Is that allowed?

We've never talked about it.

Because because mushrooms will make you laugh like crazy and that can be like a really good form of therapy but you know that's a whole other topic and a whole other podcast but any type of psychedelic can have different effects on different people sure so like it can make you laugh but a lot of people i know have had like horrible things where they've cried the whole time you know or they've had anxiety the whole time

it's not just laughing right it's like maybe that's been your experience or maybe if you microdose you can get a different thing well microdosing is not going to give you any impact it's not going to yeah it's a like it's a long-term thing.

It's not something that gives you like a high.

And also, I would say that laughter is like a universal language, right?

Like,

that's very true.

Everybody likes to laugh.

And if you're laughing, I mean, it's a great, it's a great bonding thing for people, like for personal bonding.

Like, you know, if you're laughing and I'm laughing, right away we're like bonded because we've had a shared experience that was so positive and happy and fun.

What's that mean, girls' quote?

That's like math is the same in every language.

Like, laughing is the same in every language.

It really is.

It is.

Laughing is the same language.

There's no language.

It's just ha ha ha ha ha.

You know, like, unless you're typing in Spanish, it's ja-ja-ja-ja-ja because they j is ha, so it's ha-ha-ha.

Yeah, it's so funny.

If I'm talking to my Spanish friends, I go, ja-ja-ja.

Yeah, that's amazing.

That's actually true.

But I think it's like a universal language, right?

And it's like, it's bonding, it releases tension.

I mean, there's so much, like, I think that we should, people should explore the science of laughter as truly like a, like it's free medicine, literally, free medicine.

Just as they would say, like, we talk so much on this podcast about all these ways to like optimize your health and your life, right?

Like, from you know, the saunas to the cold plunges to all sorts of like red light therapy, like all sorts of different modalities.

I said earlier, gratitude, journaling, all these things.

But, like, at the end of the day, if you can just have a good laugh or like you and like laugh for like five minutes a day,

so many of these like negative things that like are keeping you held back or down or you know so much of it just goes away if you can just find find something to laugh about 100 right i think it should be the number one health uh modality and it's free it should be up there with walking i think walking and laughter are the two best and biggest ways to change your mood and to elevate your health to me those are the two and they're free Anybody can do it.

Everybody can do it.

And you don't need to have anything but yourself.

You can laugh at yourself if you want.

You know, I do it every day.

I do it every day.

Exactly.

Free 99.

Yeah.

It's so, it's so interesting because laughing is also like when they say humor as a coping mechanism for kids who go through a lot when they're younger and they just become really funny in the end.

Like it's it's it's interesting because it's literally like one of the best coping mechanisms and it makes so much sense that some people would naturally go that route because of what it does to your body physically.

So, I also believe it's the best way to kind of like a lot of like the world, like people, like political problems, everything.

Like, it's like you, if you can, like, find humor in certain things that are like terrible, it's a great way to cope with anything, right?

Like, absolutely.

It's just, I just think it's to be up there between that and walking.

I'm not joking.

Are the two, in my opinion, those are the two best ways to impact and increase your health in a positive way.

Who are your favorite comedians to watch?

Oh my gosh.

Now you're talking my language.

I used to be obsessed with Sebastian Manisilco.

Do you know who he is?

He's an Italian guy.

He's so familiar.

He used to be hilarious.

And then, like, as he got more, like, now he's so successful, he's like one of the biggest stand-ups of all time.

He can, like, sell up the Madison Square Garden for like three nights in a row.

He, like, lost a little bit of his edge, in my opinion.

That happens.

Right.

Because, like, now, like, his perspective, like, you know, when you're down in

when you're in the trenches and like

you're funny as hell.

But as like you're now, you're living a bougie life, it's not so funny, but his kids in private school or like his life is very different.

Yeah, his kids in private school.

His last special just wasn't that funny to me.

Sorry, Sebastian, I still like you, but I'm obsessed.

My favorite of all time is Chris Rock.

Really?

Chris Rock, to me, never lost his edge.

He was hilarious 20 years ago.

He still is hilarious.

Every special I've seen on him, he's brilliant.

He's so smart.

He has his perspective, his thought process, his delivery, his voice, he to me is the bar none, the best stand-up comedian of all time.

Second closest is Bill Burr.

I love Bill Burr.

So you got Chris Rock, you got Bill Burr.

I do like Sebastian, but not as much as those guys.

I mean, people love Dave Chappelle.

I think he's good, but not.

I think he's lost his his last couple specials.

I just wasn't really, I don't know, they're just like I wasn't getting like a belly laugh out of them.

Do you know what I mean?

I need like real, it's nice when it's thought-provoking too, don't get me wrong.

I like that, but I'm not, I don't really care.

I don't really want to think.

I'm not trying to think.

Yeah.

I'm trying to just like die laughing.

Have you fall off my seat?

Like, you know, did you listen to Chris Rock's recent one?

Recent Netflix special.

No, but you know what?

How

my dad told me also to watch it, and that's kind of what put me off from watching it because I was like, ah, he always tells me like, no, no, he's right.

No, I'm not joking.

He, to me, is, I think, the best of all time.

Oh, another one I love who's clean, like who doesn't really swear.

He's super clean.

He's really clever is Jim Gaffigan.

Jim Gaffigan is amazing too.

I like him.

There's so many.

I really...

Love Ali Wong.

She's really good, too.

She's hysterical.

She's amazing.

I don't want to lean in.

I want to lie down.

It was one of my favorite lines ever.

She's so good.

She's so good.

Another one we had him on actually and uh sam morrell is very good too oh you know when i'm like when i'm scrolling on social but i don't want to scroll on social like i think that it's an unproductive waste of my time but i still don't want to do anything else right i'll go to someone like sam's profile and just scroll through reels because i feel like it's productive like i'm laughing and so i'm feeling really good 100 and his reels are really funny he's funny he's great like he's great in the moment like sam can like that's why his whole page is basically like him picking people out of the crowd work the crowd and but they're really great and that's great content he's actually on tour right now yeah so if you guys check him out he's really good there's a again it's also his delivery his voice voice has a lot to do with these comics i find like definitely does there's a bunch of people i like this other girl she was used she actually used to date sam morrell she's really funny like she's young and she's like super super super talented and her and sam morrell used to go out and what is her name she's really funny.

Taylor Tomlinson.

Yeah, Taylor Tomlinson.

Do you like her?

I think she's really funny.

I don't think she's that funny.

Oh, my God.

She's, again, I think she's so clever.

Like, how she sequences words together, I think she's amazing.

I think she's great.

Brian Regan's another one I really like.

There's so many.

Do you know Anthony Jeselnick?

Yeah, I do.

I know him.

He's good.

I like him.

Not as good as the other ones.

I love him.

I think people love him.

I think he has, in terms of the economy of words, like he's one of the best.

He's good.

He's very good.

Literally crafting jokes.

like i don't find taylor to be a joke crafter i think she's kind of got something but she's not crafting jokes really perfection i think she's i think that she tells a great story i think but i don't like story comedy yeah but i mean i like stand-up she's great i think she's an excellent stand-up she has like three specials and each one of them i think were amazing i could never get into any of them i even started all really yeah i just didn't like like them see i i actually do like and i like andy jesselnick he wasn't my one of my favorite favorite favorites.

Oh, do you know who I love?

And I think you put me on to him is Elon Gold.

I love Elon Gold.

Elon Gold is so freaking funny.

Oh, he is so funny.

And the other guy that his sidekick at that time was

Modi, yeah.

I like him.

I think he's very funny.

Someone I love also on the British side of the pond is Michael McIntyre.

I think you would really like him.

He's very family friendly, too.

I don't know that guy.

You know what?

I do like that.

He's so funny.

He's funny.

I like Ricky Jarvé.

Yeah, he's great.

Yeah, Ricky Jarvé's.

Yeah, but Michael McIntyre is like a little bit more.

Like Michael McIntyre is, yeah, I guess he's like family friendly.

The guy literally sells out like arenas non-stop.

He's he's fun for everyone.

He's like, he's so good.

You know who I used to love, actually, is Russell Peters.

You know who he is?

Yeah, of course.

Yeah, yeah.

Russell Peters is so good.

He is so good.

This is the point, right?

There's a comedian for everybody.

Everyone has different tastes and everything else.

But the bottom line is if you can find five minutes to laugh every day, your health will be so improved.

That's a great way to naturally just release endorphins and really just increase your overall physical and mental health.

And like I said, this podcast is all about actionable ways to optimize your life and your health.

And so today we bring you the science of laughter.

And let us know some comedians that you guys like.

I mean, seriously, like I'm always looking for someone to laugh to.

So please share.

Yes.

Go have a chuckle.

Yes.

And let me know some other ones if I haven't mentioned them already on the podcast.

Bye.

Thank you so much for listening to this week's solo episode.

And if you like this, I know you will like, hopefully love my book, Bigger, Better, Bolder.

And why?

It's because it's time for you to start living the life you want and not just the life you get.

I not only help you answer the questions like what do you want most in life and why don't you have it, but I also help you make it a reality.

The link is in the show notes for you to easily check it out now.

And thank you again for being here and spending time with me.

Now go show up to your life and live a bit bolder today.