Laughing Away Sad – the Perfect Tonic for Winter Blues

The United Kingdom has a reputation for being obsessed with the weather. We talk about it, think about it, read about it and write about it. Such engrossment is only natural as there is no other single factor that plays such a part in unifying us in one cause. However, we as a people let ourselves get emotionally and psychologically overwrought by a factor on our lives over which we have no control. Therefore it is essential that we find other methods of channeling these feelings, lest they become too much for us to take and we slip into a situation where our psychological health suffers as a result. At times, this may seem impossible, but through two of the most simplest and cost-effective methods available to us – social interaction and physical exercise - we can alleviate the distress we feel at the hands of the deteriorating weather conditions, whether it is in a mild or an extreme sense. Those feeling intense symptoms of SAD should consult their General Practitioner immediately, but bear in mind that this advice may also alleviate those symptoms.

The simplest method of alleviating stress – either work-, relationship-, or weather-related – is through social interaction. A useful way of beating the dark nights is to visit friends and family. During the winter we tend to hibernate, holing ourselves up with our sadness. This is not advisable, as interacting with spontaneous stimuli keeps our hearts and brains working – literally. Laughter acts on the endothelium – the inner lining of blood vessels – causing the vessels to contract and expand. This increases blood flow and therefore the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to the heart and brain. In this way laughter can have as positive an effect on arteries as aerobic activity. Both together can help keep the heart and brain working soundly on a physical level, having a knock-on psychological effect.

Michael Miller, M.D., of the University of Maryland is an expert on the cardiovascular system. In a recent study he concluded, "The endothelium is the first line in the development of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Laughing may be important to maintain a healthy endothelium…and offset the impact of mental stress, which is harmful to the endothelium.” Dr. Miller goes on to conclude that “thirty minutes of exercise three times a week and fifteen minutes of laughter on a daily basis” is good for the vascular system.

Although trudging home from work in the dark (and continuing the seemingly never-ending cycle by waking in the dark the following day) can seem like no laughing matter, it is fundamental to our health that we can overcome this psychological barrier to our wellbeing. By surrounding ourselves with others we allow ourselves the stimuli that we require to maintain a healthy lifestyle and ergo a healthy mind. The same is true of regular exercise. With these simple lifestyle choices we give ourselves a chance of fighting sadness related to the changing seasons, and we need be sad no longer.