Skip to main content

Military Health System

Test of Sitewide Banner

This is a test of the sitewide banner capability. In the case of an emergency, site visitors would be able to visit the news page for addition information.

Laughter really is among the best medicines, says Air Force nurse

Image of Military personnel laughing. Air Force 1st Lt. Nick Wendt, 492nd Fighter Squadron weapon systems officer, laughs after exiting an aircraft at Łask Air Base, Poland, April 23 (Photo by: Air Force Senior Airman Madeline Herzog).

Most people have heard the phrase "laughter is the best medicine," but Air Force Col. Jacqueline Killian has the scientific proof to back it up.

Killian, a senior nurse scientist for the 711th Human Performance Wing, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, focused her 2015 Ph.D. research at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland on using laughter yoga as an intervention to mitigate the effects of stress on students at USU.

Laughter yoga, she said, is not what people may think of when they think of traditional yoga. Laughter yoga, popularized by Dr. Madan Kataria in the 1990s and early 2000s, is a combination of laughter exercises interspersed with pranayama, or the practice of breath control in yoga.

"The yogic aspect doesn't have to do with yoga poses, it has to do with yogic breathing," Killian said.

Killian monitored the students, all military officers, and graduate students from programs throughout USU, before, during, and after the introduction of laughter yoga, and the results spoke, or perhaps laughed, for themselves.

"I asked participants before, at the two-week mark, and one month out about their perceived stress levels and resilience," said Killian. "I also used the Positive and Negative Affect scale and monitored for depression and anxiety."

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule is one of the most widely used scales to measure mood or emotion. The scale is comprised of 20 items, with 10 items measuring positive affect (e.g., excited, inspired) and 10 items measuring negative affect (e.g., upset, afraid). Each item is rated on a five-point scale, ranging from 1 (very slightly or not at all) to 5 (extremely), to measure the extent to which the affect has been experienced over a specific time.

She also asked the participants open-ended questions to find out what they thought may be changing because of the laughter yoga. That was the most surprising part for her.

"Some of them reported that they were sleeping better, that they were drinking less alcohol or caffeine, or that they were exercising more," Killian said. "Some reported that family members or colleagues even commented about how much better their attitude was or how much happier they seemed. It was almost like participating in the laughter yoga gave them permission to take care of themselves better."

Among the other results the participants reported were decreased stress levels and increased resilience.

"Over time, once we analyzed the data, we found that just participating in laughter yoga four times, twice a week for two weeks, actually did decrease their perceived stress levels and their negative affect, and it improved their resilience scores and their positive affect, said Killian.

Military personnel laughing
Air Force Staff Sgt. David Brown, 15th Air Support Operations Squadron joint terminal attack controller, laughs after finishing a speed drill during Draco Spear at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia in August 2018 (Photo by: Air Force Senior Airman Janiqua Robinson).

Killian explained that laughter has the dual benefits of being free and easy. It also isn't time-consuming.

"Laughter is a super easy thing to do. We can all laugh, but I think we get stuck focusing on lists of things we have to do, bills we have to pay, tasks that are required at work. We have this constant list of things in our minds that don't allow our minds to rest," she said. "If we just took a minute to try to laugh, even if you're fake laughing, it engages the diaphragm, which is where our vagus nerve sits."

This, she said, is where the science of laughing and its health benefits come into play.

"The vagus nerve activates your parasympathetic nervous system, the 'rest and digest' part of your nervous system, which is the opposite of the 'fight or flight' part of your nervous system so, essentially, you're telling your body to relax when you laugh," said Killian. "If you do that once or twice a day, share a laugh with a friend or a coworker, you immediately feel a sensation of relaxation in your body, whether you're conscious of it or not. It counteracts the chronic stress response."

That means there’s a physiological reason that you feel better when you laugh.

"It's good for your respiratory system, your autonomic nervous system and your mind," Killian said.

Not only is laughter free and easy, Killian said, but it also gets easier with time.

"The great thing about laughing is the more we do it, the easier it is to do," she said.

As National Nurses Week comes to close, Killian said stress management, including using laughter, is extremely important for nurses.

"We do what we can to try to get health care staff to take a little bit of time for self-care and to use their leave so they can recharge their batteries, so to speak, so they can get the rest that is needed, and to spend time with family," she said. "Hopefully now, with vaccination numbers increasing and the hospitalization rate decreasing, we can try to give nurses, health care workers and support personnel some time back to recover."

She said health care, especially within the military, has the potential to be even more stressful because of the obligation that providers feel they have to others.

"As military health care providers, we're programmed to take care of others, almost to our own detriment. Sometimes, we don't take time to take care of ourselves," said Killian. "Nurses Week is a time when we can appreciate the work that nurses and medical technicians do for our communities and remind them that we appreciate them, and we want them to take care of themselves. They are a limited and extremely valuable resource that we celebrate this month.

You also may be interested in...

Two Military Nurses Share Common Ground of Service, Education

Article
5/15/2023
Two Military Nurses Share Common Ground of Service, Education

Two military nurses may have taken different paths to their chosen profession, but their stories share common ground.

Future of Nursing is Bright, Says Chief Nursing Officer Simonson

Article
5/5/2023
Future of Nursing is Bright, Says Chief Nursing Officer Simonson

Nurses at DHA are leading the charge toward a person-centric care model says Chief Nursing Officer Simonson.

Equine Therapy Reduces Staff Stress and Anxiety at Military Hospital

Article
1/25/2023
Military personnel poses with miniature horse

Not all facility animals are dogs. Mini-horses help reduce staff stress at Naval Medical Center San Diego.

Future of Nursing: Telehealth, More Innovation and Maybe Some Robots

Article
5/13/2022
Second Lt. Nina Hoskins, 81st Surgical Operations Squadron operating room nurse, briefs Col. Debra Lovette, 81st Training Wing commander, and other base leadership on robotics surgery capabilities inside the robotics surgery clinic at the Keesler Medical Center June 16, 2017. (Photo: Kemberly Groue, U.S. Air Force)

The future of nursing is here due in part to changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

How One Military Nurse Persevered Through the COVID-19 Response

Article
5/5/2022
Air Force Capt. Courtney Ebeling, a medical-surgical nurse at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Family Health Clinic, Texas, was deployed to support the COVID-19 response in Afghanistan in 2021. They administered vaccinations to U.S. citizens, service members, and foreign military members as well as supported the preparation to withdraw from the country. (Photo: Courtesy of Air Force Capt. Courtney Ebeling)

Nurses across the Military Health System have played a vital role in providing routine patient care and meeting the needs of the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘I Love the Intensity’ – One Nurse Recalls Three COVID-19 Deployments

Article
5/5/2022
In 2020, Air Force 1st Lt. Tiffany Parra, an ICU nurse at the 633rd Medical Group, on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, was deployed to a North Dakota hospital to support a FEMA COVID-19 mission. In the photo, she trains on equipment used for critical patients in a North Dakota ICU. (Photo: Courtesy of Air Force 1st Lt. Tiffany Parra)

Nurses are unique, they follow a calling to care for others. Military nurses do that as well as serve their nation. For Nurses Week, the MHS highlights some of their own.

Three Free Holiday Gifts That Boost Well-Being

Article
12/14/2021
Image of soldier holding a letter.

Gift giving is a fun and meaningful part of many cultures during the holidays. Try giving 3 “different” gifts to boost the well-being of the recipient and improve your well-being too. Best of all? They’re 100% free!

Navy Spouse Seeks Mental Health Care through the MHS

Article
9/15/2021
Military personnel in front of a helicopter

Army public affairs officer deals with mental health crisis.

Finding Your Stress 'Sweet Spot'

Article
9/1/2021
A Marine posts security during an exercise on Karan Island, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, April 23, 2020.

Did you know that stress, in the right amounts, can actually be good for you? It’s important to channel stress in a positive way to improve your mission readiness, and to protect, support, and promote your health in the military community.

TRICARE has Resources for Those Struggling with Events in Afghanistan

Article
8/25/2021
A soldier looks out over a valley in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan while on patrol.

Departure of U.S. forces from Afghanistan stirred emotions from many people.

How COVID-19 fast-tracked innovation in the Military Health System

Article
7/20/2021
Military personnel receiving the COVID-19 test

As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every aspect of healthcare delivery, the Military Health System responded with new and innovative ways to fight the disease and deliver safe, quality care to patients.

Cataracts Concern Battle Fighters, the Aging

Article
6/21/2021
A doctor performing cataract surgery

Traumatic cataracts can occur during battlefield injuries, but they are largely avoidable in non-combat situations.

MHS and MOS Town Hall: "To Your Health"

Article
6/8/2021
Images of Dr. Theresa Schulz and Colonel Mark Reynolds

MHS and Military OneSource: To Your Health: A Discussion with experts from the Hearing Center of Excellence and the Vision Center of Excellence

Mental Health Panel Discusses Impact of COVID-19

Article
6/3/2021
Military personnel wearing face mask speaking on a panel

Walter Reed Bethesda hosts mental health panel to discuss the impacts of COVID-19.

Service members share what works for them to relieve stress

Article
5/27/2021
Military personnel in a yoga pose

Military Health System personnel share what works for them to relieve stress and maintain their mental health.

Page 1 of 3 , showing items 1 - 15
First < 1 2 3 > Last 
Refine your search
Last Updated: May 01, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery