Laughter is the Best Medicine
Everyone likes to laugh, and if we knew how many health benefits it gave us we might be inclined to find more reasons to laugh.
The healing qualities behind laughter have been scientifically proven in many ways, but even without this I think most of us have felt it’s transformative power for ourselves. Here are 8 reasons to start laughing.
1. Strengthens the Immune System
When we laugh it increases immune cells that fight against infections. It also reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol which is the biggest cause of disease. Laughter also helps regulate our breathing, bringing more oxygen to our lungs. Since laughter helps our bodies fight infection and disease it’s one of the main reasons laughter therapy is used in many children’s hospitals around the world.
2. Protects the Heart
When we laugh our blood vessels open wider allowing more blood to flow through, transporting oxygen around the body. This also helps to lower our blood pressure, protecting us against heart disease.
3. It has similar effects to antidepressants
Laughter helps release serotonin which helps ward off depression. Serotonin is the same brain chemical that most types of antidepressants affect. Laughter also triggers the release of dopamine and endorphins providing additional feel-good benefits.
4. Relieves Pain
When we laugh it releases endorphins which act as natural pain killers. Endorphins are morphine-like compounds which have a sedative effect on us. I experienced this for myself when I was having a session of Muscle Corrective Therapy which was quite painful. The therapist was telling me a funny story at the time and when I laughed I noticed that the pain almost completely disappeared. I was amazed at the effect it had.
5. Helps us lose weight
When we laugh our stomach muscles expand and contract which help to tone our stomach muscles. Laughter can have very similar effects to a mild workout. One study showed that it only took one minute of laughter to increase the heart rate to the same level of 10 minutes on a rowing machine.
6. Helps us let go of Anger
Laughter helps us diffuse anger and become less defensive. When we have built up anger, the act of laughing relaxes our body and lowers cortisol. It also helps us put things in perspective, as when we are more relaxed we see things clearer.
7. Builds Social Bonds
If we want to strengthen our connections to others, laughter is no doubt one of the best ways we can do that. Seeing others laugh triggers our own brain’s laughter response which helps build closeness with those around us. Also couples who laugh together report having higher quality relationships therefore making it more likely that they stay together. Laughter also makes us more attractive to a potential mate, as a sense of humour is one of the top qualities others look for when coupling up.
8. Makes Life more Meaningful
The connection and happiness we feel when we laugh is what gives life meaning. The greater our sense of humour the greater our sense of purpose will be. Our body, mind, and spirit all benefit from the positive effects of laughter.
How to add more Laughter to Life
We can make a conscious effort to add more laughter and humour to our lives if we want to improve our health and wellbeing. Here are some suggestions:
Laugh at Yourself
Sometimes we can take ourselves too seriously especially when we make mistakes or do stupid things. But sometimes this is a prime opportunity to find the humour in the silly things we do. Sometimes we don’t see the funny side of things straight away but if we recall stupid things we did years ago we will more then likely find it funny now. We don’t need to wait until years to come to find the humour, we just need to ask ourselves if this is going to matter in five years time or are we going to find it funny in the future. And if so then try to laugh at it now.
Laughter Yoga
Laughter groups and Laughter Yoga are becoming increasingly popular as people are becoming aware of their health benefits. Laughter Yoga was developed by Indian doctor, Dr Madan Kataria, and involves using rhythmic clapping and breathing exercises to stimulate spontaneous laughter from the body rather than the mind. And since laughter is contagious the effects just keep going. So if you want to join one of these groups, do a search in your local area or you can always start one yourself.
Find the Humour in Everyday Life
The ability to see the humour in everyday things is a good skill to develop, especially if we want to keep our sanity. This also gives us a great opportunity to share our funny stories with our friends, keeping the laughter cycle going. Life is full of absurdities and if we make a conscious effort to take notice of them we won’t take life so seriously.
Watch Funny Movies and Shows
This is the quickest and easiest way to start laughing. I know that if I’m stressed or had a bad day, when I get home and put something funny on to watch it instantly relaxes me and puts me in a better mood. Most of the time the things that I’m worried or anxious about seem to go away or don’t seem that bad anymore. So instead of watching too much of the news or serious shows try and put something funny on everyday. Your body and mind will thank you for it.
Make it a Habit
If we can make a conscious effort to laugh daily then it will become a habit in no time. This is what we want to achieve. We want laughter to become a habit so we don’t even have to think about it. We want it to come naturally and spontaneously. Once it becomes a habit we should notice a change in our health and overall wellbeing. So start building the habit today to see the benefits for yourself.
