It might have the fewest days in number but for many people February feels like the longest month of the year, with dark mornings and evenings, and often leaden skies during the day. It can therefore feel like there is not a lot to smile, or indeed laugh, about.
A good laugh certainly improves mood and is thought to boost the immune system and encourage the body to release its own natural painkillers, but research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress last summer also showed “that people with coronary heart disease who regularly watched comedy shows had benefits to their heart and circulatory system compared to those who watched serious documentaries”.
Click here to read a write-up of the research by the British Heart Foundation, and perhaps use this excuse to spend half an hour watching your favourite comedy show to keep your heart light in more ways than one.