Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict.
Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain. Activate and relieve your stress response.
The health benefits of laughter include the reduction of stress hormones and blood pressure, as well as increased blood flow and oxygenation to the cells and organs.
“Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain.” — Charlie Chaplin
Benefits of Laughing:
Laughter helps you stress less:
A good sense of humor can’t cure all ailments, but data is mounting about the positive things laughter can do. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
Laughter increases connection with others:
Going on a first date with a guy or girl you have a maximum crush on? Relieve your nerves and increase the odds that you bond by doing something that will make you laugh. That could be a funny movie, comedy night, ski-ball, roller-coasters, or whatever your idea of “fun” might be.
Laughter helps you relax and recharge:
It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.
Laughter lightens anger’s heavy load:
Nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment.
Laughter may even help you to live longer:
A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humor outlived those who don’t laugh as much. The difference was particularly notable for those battling cancer.
Laughter is the best medicine:
Go ahead and give it a try. Turn the corners of your mouth up into a smile and then give a laugh, even if it feels a little forced.
Laughter protects the heart:
Laughter reduces blood pressure and improves blood flow, which will in turn reduce your odds of suffering a stroke or heart attack.
Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
Laughter burns calories:
OK, so it’s no replacement for going to the gym, but one study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn about 40 calories—which could be enough to lose three or four pounds over the course of a year.
Laughter increases your immunity:
Negative stress causes chemical reactions in your body that decrease your immunity, making it more likely you will get sick. A hearty laugh fuels your immune system with disease-fighting powers that will help you stay healthy and energetic.
Lowers blood pressure:
People who lower their blood pressure, even those who start at normal levels, will reduce their risk of stroke and heart attack. So grab the Sunday paper, flip to the funny pages, and enjoy your laughter medicine.
Is a natural painkiller:
There are a number of studies which validate the pain relieving effects of laughter. Studies show that watching comedy films assists both children and adults to tolerate pain more easily
Help keep diabetes under control:
A recent study showed that people who watched a funny video after meal had lower blood sugar levels than those who watched a serious film. It could be that laughter affects the neuroendocrine system, which monitors the body´s glucose levels, or it may be the effect of energy used by the stomach muscles.
Make you look younger:
As many as 15 facial muscles work together to help you smile and laugh. This increases the blood flow around the face, bringing the circulation into even the smallest of capillaries which, in turn, helps to make you look younger and healthier.
Aid with sleep:
Having a good laugh prior to sleep reduces stress and anxiety, promoting deep, restful sleep. Laughter also provides a mild aerobic workout, which, not only energizes you in the short term, but also helps you to sleep better.
Laughter Quotes:
I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person. – Audrey Hepburn
We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we’re happy because we laugh. – William James
People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas you have to use big words to express them, haven’t you? – Lucy Maud Montgomery
If you can’t laugh at yourself, and be a total idiot with your friends sometimes, then you are just missing out. Life is too short, Laugh. – Justin Bieber
We might be laughing a bit too loud But that never hurt no one. – Billy Joel
You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it. – Bill Cosby
I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person. – Audrey Hepburn
Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine. – George Gordon Byron
A sense of humor … is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life. – Hugh Sidey
Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward. – Kurt Vonnegut
Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. – Victor Borge
