Laughter is a physiological response of the brain to humor. It consists of two parts – a set of gestures and the production of sound.
Laughing is actually a way of celebrating the good things in life. In order to express that feeling, people laugh. It does not only give you a good feeling but also to those around you.
Laughter is considered to be a great medicine. It distracts you from negative thinking and provides social, emotional, physical, and psychological benefits.
Protects The Heart
Your heart is a muscle. It functions better and gets stronger with exercise. Laughing is considered to be a healthy workout for your heart.
Laughing enables the tissue composing the lining of the blood vessels to expand which leads to an increased vascular blood flow. This is crucial in reducing the risk of heart attack and fighting against atherosclerosis.
Reduces Stress
Laughing causes a decrease in the levels of stress hormones like epinephrine and cortisol. Likewise, it also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones.
In addition to this, laughter also stimulates blood circulation and provides a full-scale workout for your muscles which in turn, lessens some of the physical symptoms of stress.
Boosts The Immune System
A regular dose of laughter can boost your immune system. According to studies, laughter can increase the number of anti-infection antibodies and T-cells in the blood.
If you have stronger immune systems, this means that you have better resistance to illness and disease. There will be less cold, cough, and other infections.
Improves Sleep Quality
Laughing is one of the best medicine you can try if you have difficulty in sleeping at night. It caused the body to produce more melatonin – a hormone which is released by the brain that helps you sleep better.
According to some research studies, laughter helps improve sleep patterns, which is considered to be helpful in treating insomnia and other sleep-related problems.
Fights Depression
Laughter can help people suffering from either seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or full-blown depression.
It can lessen the levels of stress-related hormones and replace them with a feel-good hormone, thereby creating a positive state of mind. A person with a positive attitude towards life has less chance of having feelings depression and hopelessness.
Provides An Internal Workout
Whenever you have a good belly laugh, it exercises the shoulders, abdomen, diaphragm, and respiratory system. This results in more relaxed and calm muscles.
People take deep breaths during a heavy laughter, thus helping unclog airways and improves inhalation and oxygen intake.
Spend more time laughing with your family and friends for a complete internal workout.
Keeps You Young
Look younger by having a daily dose of laughter. Smiling and laughing can make as many as 15 facial muscles work together. This leads to an increase in blood flow to your face, therefore making you look healthier and younger.
Makes You Energetic
When you laugh, your body and mind were energized. Laughing forces air out of your lungs, which causes you to deep inward breaths. This action increases the flow of oxygen around the body’s organs and muscles, thus resulting in more energy. An increased energy means improved creativity, memory, and alertness.
Relieves Pain
A study from Oxford University has proven that laughter works as a natural painkiller. It claims that people who laugh a lot can endure pain nearly 10 percent more than those who do not laugh much.
A good dose of laughter releases feel-good endorphins that is better than morphine in reducing pain.
Aside from this, laughing also distracts you from the thoughts of pains and aches.
Controls Diabetes
You can keep your diabetes under control by laughing a lot. Though the exact cause is not yet known, it is believed that laughter can affect the neuroendocrine system, which monitors the body’s glucose levels. Moreover, it may be because of the energy used by the stomach muscles while laughing.
Aside from these health benefits, laughing can also enhance your social life and keep your relationship smoothly running. Enjoy laughing as much as you want!
