Laughing Mental Trick 13: The adage “laughter is the best medicine” is no joke. A pilot study conducted at UCLA found that children and adolescents who watched humorous videos while their hands were soaking in frigid water were better able to tolerate the pain. Another study attributed the effects of laughter on the release of endorphins, nature’s own analgesic. Even just smiling can change your mood from bad to good and that may help make pain more bearable.