“We don’t laugh because we’re happy – we’re happy because we laugh. ~ William James
The Brain on Joy
When you engage in activities that make you laugh or feel connected, such as watching a comedy, dancing to a favorite song, or spending time with a beloved pet, your brain releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins. These neurochemicals reduce stress, calm the nervous system, and create new neural pathways that reinforce safety instead of danger.
In other words, joy is not just an emotion. It’s a signal to your brain that you are safe.
Making Space for Happiness in PRT
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) focuses on helping the brain unlearn chronic pain by rewiring how it interprets signals. Part of that process includes gently shifting attention away from pain and threat and toward safety, connection, and joy.
That means making happiness a priority is not indulgent – it’s essential. Whether it’s painting, laughing with friends, baking, or playing an instrument, doing things that light you up helps counteract the neural patterns that keep pain (a danger signal) alive.
A Gentle Reminder
This doesn’t mean you have to force joy or pretend to feel happy when you don’t. But it does mean permitting yourself to seek it out when you can and recognizing that those moments matter deeply.
They’re not distractions. They’re medicine. Patients often experience less pain when they engage in something they authentically enjoy. Instead of running away from pain (which sends the wrong message to the brain), you are running towards something lighter, easier, and happier (which sends the right safety message to the brain).
Research
A recent randomized controlled trial in Germany explored how a structured humor training program could support patients with chronic pain. The study found that participants who took part in a four-session “humor group” experienced greater reductions in pain intensity and improved quality of life compared to those who received standard therapy alone. These participants also showed increased coping skills like self-enhancing humor – using humor to reframe difficult situations.
While depression scores didn’t change significantly, feedback revealed that participants found the sessions enjoyable, helpful, and would recommend them to others. These findings reinforce that joy, laughter, and perspective shifts aren’t just feel-good extras – they can be powerful tools for recovery and should be implemented in interdisciplinary pain therapy.
Kugler L, Kuhbandner C, Gerum S, Hierl C, Münster T, Offereins B, Lutterbach LS. Evaluation of a Humor Training for Patients with Chronic Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Pain Res. 2021 Oct 7;14:3121-3133. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S313868. PMID: 34675641; PMCID: PMC8504473.
Reading
Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence by Rick Hanson, PhD
For most, it’s much easier to ruminate over hurt feelings than it is to bask in the warmth of being appreciated or complimented. Hardwiring Happiness lays out four steps to build new neural structures full of happiness, love, confidence, and peace. You’ll start to take a fresh road and develop a new normal, leaning into and appreciating happiness while overriding the brain’s default pessimism, self-criticism, and worry.