Laughter can improve your overall health
How many times have you heard that laughter is the best medicine? Well the truth is it’s not just an old saying. In reality, there’s more to this age-old adage than being a mere saying. Aside from lifting your spirits and putting you in a better mood, laughter provides a long list of benefits.
They are physical, mental, and social perks that are especially good for your health and well being.
Boosts your immune system naturally with laughter.
Physical benefits
I don’t know about you but there have been times when I haven’t been feeling that great either physically or maybe just feeling a bit down. Then something I hear or see that makes me laugh can quickly lift my spirits and put me in a better mood.
When you’re filled with negative thoughts it can cause more stress and anxiety that could develop into physical symptoms. While laughter on the other hand can actually activate T cells in your body. These are a type of white blood cell that improves your body’s resistance to diseases.
Laughter can help to relieve pain naturally.
Your body releases endorphins when you laugh which triggers neuropeptides. And these act as your natural painkillers. Besides that, one of the other benefit of laughter is that it helps to control spasm-induced pain related to numerous muscle issues. Have you noticed how when you’re feeling good that you’re also more relaxed?
Fire up your internal muscles.
A good and healthy hearty laugh is capable of penetrating and exercising some of our major organ muscles. For a start laughter can keep your heart pumping which increases the blood flow.
It’s like a chain reactions because that then helps burn up some calories which in turn can protect you from other cardiovascular diseases. Also there’s nothing like a good laugh to help expand your lungs and improve your oxygen intake.
Laughter a natural muscle relaxer
Whenever stress gets the better of you, you tend to get tense. This automatically makes muscles contract and tighten which could disrupt a healthy circulation. On the other hand, when you laugh it reduces stress and tension and the whole body relaxes. When this happens you get to experience an overall sense of well-being.
Improves mood with laughter.
Mental Benefits
There’s no doubt about it when you laugh it makes you feel good overall. Even after the laughter subsides you still reap the benefits. When something brings on the laughter and you feel good there’s no way that you can feel sad, angry, or anxious at the same time.
It’s not possible for two things to occupy the exact same space at the same time. Consider a drinking glass, it cannot be full with water and full with milk at the same time. The same applies to being happy and sad at the same time, you’re either one or the other.
Laughter can also help you fight anxiety, depression, and other persisting illnesses. This is really important in this day and age when so many people feel pressured and suffer from these mood conditions.
A natural stress relief
When you are having negative thoughts and fears it can increase the levels of your stress hormones. Introducing more fun and laughter into your life can reverse that situation as laughter can reduce the levels of stress hormones produced by the body.
Stress relief helps protect you from chronic illnesses as it can provide a long term benefits for your immune system. Laughter is one of the best natural remedies to release stress
Increase productivity and personal success factors
When you have a better outlook on life you are not only happier but you’re more productive. There’s no doubt that laughter can help you achieve a different and positive perspective in life. You’re better able to cope with life’s ups and downs even during the most difficult situations.
Finding the time to laugh can help you see a different view of yourself. It gives you a whole new source of meaning and purpose in life that you won’t be able to find when you wallow in self-pity and sadness.
How to relieve tension
There are also Social Benefits
You can be sure there’s nothing better than laughter to help ease the tension among families, friends, colleagues, and even partners. There are times when we may need a bit of help to save and strengthen our relationships. We can do this by working on issues with a calm and light approach.
Maybe the best gift you can ever give to yourself and to others is to raise spirits with a smile and contagious laughter. Laughter alone is good, but to share that laughter with others is even better. Be sure to share your smile and laughter as you’ll discover it’s so much easier to work with others and establish relationships with them.
Become an attractive character.
Most of us enjoy being around people that are happy and pleasant, it makes us feel good plus it becomes contagious. I say most of us because unfortunately there are some that seem to thrive on negativity. Happy people just seem to tick them off and they assume that must have something seriously wrong with them.
We see too much negativity in this world as it is so the last thing we want to deal with is having negative people in our life. I doubt anyone wants to be brought down and have a damper put on their day by others.
We do experience more serious, brooding, and stern individuals in our lives at times because some aspects in life should be taken more seriously. However being with people who feel the weight of the world on their shoulders all the time is never much fun.
Focus on the positive
It may be hard to laugh when life becomes challenging and there’s nothing to laugh at, but begin with a smile. When you find yourself in a difficult situation, try to look at the brighter side of things instead of focusing on the negative aspects.
Learn to count your blessings, and don’t take yourself or life too seriously. Learn to laugh at your mistakes because we all make them and this is how we learn and continue to grow. Also spend time with happy people who can easily bring out your inner sense of humor and make you laugh out loud.