Why a few minutes of fun can change your brain and your body, especially at the start of a new year. Part of the “Wellness Matters” blog series.
Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? If you have, they likely involve some version of self-improvement.
Perhaps this year you’ve promised yourself you’ll eat more healthily, take a walk during lunch, or manage your budget a little better. Maybe you’ll finally take that swim class or learn a new language.
Or, if you’re like many people I know, 2026 is the year you’ll learn to manage your stress.
When you think of stress management, what comes to mind? Meditation? Exercise? Deep breathing? These are excellent strategies, but one powerful tool often gets overlooked: joy.
A silly cat video, an impromptu dance break in your living room, or a quick game of catch are not just childlike diversions. They are proven strategies for reducing stress and restoring resilience.
Why Joy Matters
Positive emotions like joy, amusement, and curiosity create measurable physiological change. Laughter and play activate the parasympathetic nervous system, lower stress hormones like cortisol, expand cognitive and emotional capacity, and release endorphins, the brain’s natural mood elevators.
In short, joy rewires your brain chemistry and physiology in ways that counteract the wear and tear of stress.
This understanding has been around longer than you may realize. In Anatomy of an Illness, published in 1975, Dr. Norman Cousins famously documented how watching comedy films helped him recover from a debilitating illness. He reported that 10 minutes of genuine laughter gave him two hours of pain-free sleep.
More recent research supports similar conclusions. Laughter reduces pain, boosts immune function, and shifts the nervous system into recovery mode. Joyful experiences, even short ones, can improve memory, focus, problem-solving, and adaptability.
Try It: Take a Joy Break
Take a moment now to reconnect with joy.
Close your eyes and recall a time you laughed until your stomach hurt. Notice how your breath deepens, your shoulders drop, and your face softens.
Or stand up and move. Wiggle, stretch, dance, or toss a ball. Give yourself permission to be playful, even for one minute. Your brain and body register this playfulness as safety, switching off stress and switching on restoration.
Here are some other ideas to spark joy:
- Return to childhood favorites: Paint, play an instrument, splash in puddles, or, as I like to do, put on boots and catch (and release) frogs at a pond.
- Schedule a laughter break: Watch a short comedy clip, read a comic, or revisit a funny memory.
- Savor joy in writing: Write down three things that made you smile or laugh today. Reliving them helps lock the positive state into memory.
The Takeaway: Joy Is Medicine
Joy and play are not frivolous extras, nor are they reserved for children. They are biological tools that change brain chemistry, reduce stress hormones, and strengthen resilience.
So, the question is: Have you had your joy boost today? If not, why not take a few minutes now? Your body and brain will thank you.
This article is part of “Wellness Matters,” a blog series created to explore health and wellness issues and share evidence-based tools you can use to strengthen your well-being.
Found it helpful? Subscribe to the “Wellness Matters” newsletter to receive new posts directly in your inbox. Get monthly insights leading up to the webinar, “An Integrative Approach to Stress Management: Practical Tools for Building Resilience and Well-Being,” on April 21, 2026.
About the Author
Michelle Pearce, PhD, is professor and director of the Integrative Health and Wellness certificate program at the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies.
Dr. Pearce is a clinical psychologist who researches the relationship between religion/spirituality, coping, and health, as well as the integration of spirituality into the practice of psychotherapy. Her areas of clinical expertise include cognitive behavioral therapy, mind-body stress reduction methods, existential issues, and behavioral medicine to address the intersection of mental and physical illness. Read her full biography.