Laughter is the best medicine in the world. This saying is something that has gone around the world for centuries now. Sharing a good laugh does not just lighten the mood. Science have actually found that there is some fact to this. Laughter, and generally having a good time, acts as a catalyst for positive physical and emotional reactions in the body.
Studies have found that laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts your mood, reduces the pain you feel, and protects you from the stress that you feel. Getting children to laugh is easy but as you get older, the harder it becomes. However, this should not deter you from seeking out chances for humour and laughter as it will improve your emotional health, strengthen your emotional bonds with friends and generally be happier.
When you experience pain, conflict, or you’re put in a stressful situation, nothing works better than laughing. In a way, it brings you into a balance. Humour helps lighten the mood while also ensuring that you do not get buried under the daily stresses of life. Grudges are hard to keep when you are constantly laughing. This medicine is fun and free to use so why not give it a shot? Here are some more health-related reasons as to why you should laugh more often.
1. Laughter Relaxes Your Body
When you laugh, your entire body relaxes which reduces the level of stress hormones in your body. A good laugh relieves physical tension which could leave your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes.
2. Laughter Boosts Your Immune System
Laughter boosts your immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies. This means that a happy man has a higher resistance to disease than one who doesn’t laugh often.
3. Laughter Releases Endorphins
Releasing endorphins is your body’s way of saying you feel good. Endorphins are a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and having a number of physiological functions.
4. Laughter Protects The Heart
Laughter improves the blood vessels and encourages better blood flow which helps you against heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.
5. Laughing Burns Calories
It’s not as effective as working out and going to the gym but studies have found that laughing burns almost 40 calories just by laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day.
6. Laughter Lessens Your Anger
Have you ever seen a laughing angry man? It’s impossible to stay angry while laughing which may diffuse a lot of tension-packed situations. This also enables you to avoid unwanted confrontations without holding grudges.
7. Laughter Increases Life Longevity
Some studies have found that people with a sense of humour outlived those without. A great mood and positive outlook will probably increase the chances of other sicknesses from falling on you.
8. Laughter Helps With Depression and Anxiety
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. When you laugh regularly, the chances of having depressive episodes and anxiety attacks are reduced. You are generally happier which makes life a bit easier to live. It is quite difficult if not impossible to feel anxious, angry or sad when you are laughing.
9. Laughter Tones Your Abs
If you want some rock hard abs then laughing should be part of your workout routine. When you laugh, your core is very much engaged. The muscles in your stomach expands and contracts when you laugh, a bit similar to when you do core exercises. Unlike with workouts, the rest of your muscles get a chance to relax and recover. By adding laughing to your ab routine, you ensure that working out to get a toned stomach is much more enjoyable.
So how exactly do you laugh often? It’s not as easy as it sounds. That is why I have compiled a list of ways to make yourselves laugh more than you have ever had.
– Smile More
Studies have found that people who smile more are much happier. This means that they are also much more susceptible with laughing often. When you are smiling, your body and brain assumes that laughter is supposed to be next. If you want to laugh more, just smile more. You can make this into a habit by smiling at strangers as you walk past them. Not only will it improve your mood but also improve other people’s days. Don’t be one of those people who has a resting bitch face as it intimidates a lot of people.
– Find Friends That Make You Laugh
Having fun with some friends is honestly one of the best highlights of life. If ever you feel that you are down in the dumps, a night out with your friends would probably be the best thing to improve your mood. Find friends who actually make you laugh and happy. If your current friends do not make you happy and instead gives you anxiety, then you should seriously rethink your list of friends. Stop surrounding yourselves with Negative Nancies and Debbie Downers. Instead, be with friends who make you happy. You don’t have to necessarily cut off your negative friends. You just have to make sure that the conversation does not go in a pessimistic mood. You can bring the mood up by talking about silly topics and having a laugh about a lighthearted story.
– Play Practical Jokes On Each Other
Laughing can also be done when you play practical jokes on each other. For example, pranking can elicit so much laughter not only for you but for those involved as well. If you are still unsure on how to successfully prank, you should check out Prank Calling Apps that will help you prank your friends. You can also watch prank videos for inspiration.
– Watch Comedy Movies and Shows
Find a comedy show that makes you laugh a lot. Comedy has been known to improve your mood. You can find a good light-hearted sitcomedy show like the famous FRIENDS TV series or The Big Bang Theory. What this does is that it just makes you laugh without even thinking of any of your problems. Call it an escape from the everyday stresses of life.
– Learn To Laugh At Yourself
When you make an embarrassing mistake, learn to laugh it off. You will definitely have a much better time moving on from your boo-boos when you learn how to laugh it off. This will also stop you from getting caught in a loop feeling bad for yourself. Laughter allows you to make more friends. They strengthen the bonds between friends which may help improve your mental and emotional health. It is also contagious which means that when you laugh, not only are you benefitting but the other people that surrounds you. This is the main reason why many comedy shows have laugh tracks in them. When you hear someone laughing, it is more likely that you laugh too.
There is a strong social aspect when it comes to laughter. It is rare that you do it alone but rather it is done best together with family and friends. Life is hard enough as it is. When you go out of your way to avoid fun situations, then you are essentially robbing yourself off of proper health maintenance.
