Five Shocking Health Benefits of Laughter!

Five Shocking Health Benefits of Laughter!

People constantly say, “Laughter is the best medicine.” However, most people think this is merely an idiom, a phrase not to be taken literally. But did you know that laughter is actually beneficial to your body? It’s true! What’s also interesting is the fact that laughter is easy to attain. Unlike purchasing expensive medicine and dietary supplements to improve your body, laughter does it free of charge! Take a look at this list of 5 benefits laughter provides for you (article presented by Thriveworks Atlanta Therapy).

1. It’s good for your blood

– Laughter lowers one’s blood pressure and also helps oxygen flow freely throughout the bloodstream. The more you laugh, the more oxygen your blood absorbs. When you have oxygen in your blood, you become more alert and less drowsy. That’s why people recommend you watch a funny video whenever you’re tired, since more oxygen helps you stay awake.

2. Laughter is Brain Food

– The more you laugh, the more quickly you are able to absorb knowledge; this is why better teachers and professors tend to use humor in their lectures. When you are working tirelessly on something, take a break and watch a funny video. This helps because when you laugh, your body and mind reduce the amount of stress-causing hormones produced.

3. It’s a good workout

– Have you ever laughed so hard that your stomach began to hurt? Whenever your abdominals hurt from laughing, it is just as good as doing sit-ups or crunches, since they work the same muscles. Believe it or not, your facial, leg, and back muscles also get a workout.

4. Laughter builds bonds

– If you are in a relationship, sharing jokes with your loved one helps build a strong emotional connection. This is because when one laughs, they are disarmed; they are emotionally open. So when you laugh next to your loved one, you will subconsciously feel closer to them. This applies to laughing with friends as well. Strong friendships are usually built around laughter, since most of the memories shared are humorous.

5. Positive Hormones

– When you laugh, your body releases endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel good. These hormones boost your self-esteem and help you maintain a positive mindset. It is easy for someone or something to ruin or day. Endorphins tend to be the most helpful solution to solving this problem. So, if you have a bad day, watching something funny can be extremely beneficial.

The next time you hear that laughter is the best medicine, make sure to take it literally. When you laugh, your blood, brain, and body all benefit. You develop a positive outlook on life and your self-confidence increases substantially. The beauty of laughter is that it is free. You don’t have to pay money to laugh and feel good about yourself. If you ever catch yourself having a bad day, watch a funny TV show or video, and you will realize that all you needed was a tablespoon of laughter. 

How to add Humor to your life

Quick, what is one of the universal things people of every culture throughout history share? As you may have guessed from reading the title of this article, the answer I’m looking for is humor.

So, why is humor such a big deal to people? I know it is for me, and it’s pretty clear that you can’t really go anywhere without finding some form of humor being had there.

Humor is best described by being one of our vehicles to amusement.

We’re entertained by it, and it ultimately enriches our lives. Sure, humor caters to personal taste and some people may not have a great sense of it, but everyone still responds (in some way) to humor. We all laugh.

And why shouldn’t we? According to Melinda Smith, M.A. and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D, laughter is very beneficial to your health. It relaxes your body, boosts your immune system, promotes pleasure and even protects your heart. They even point out that it fosters good mental health, since humor “dissolves distressing emotions” and helps you cling to more positive perspectives.

How do we add humor to our lives? Is it as simple as being around funny people more often? In a way, yes that can be one approach. The people you spend time with truly shape a lot of who you are, for better or worse. It stands to reason that surrounding yourself with positive, humorous people will rub off on you.

Here are some more simple steps you can take to successfully adding amusement to your life:

• Spend time with children.
• Embarrass yourself.
• Put a pencil in your mouth and force yourself to smile.
• Start watching funny movies, especially the classics.
• If you think of something humorous, write it down and save it for later.
• Take funny photos of yourself and your friends.
• Have a lighthearted conversation with your parents.
• Go do something you’ve never done before with some funny people. Nothing makes us crave humor more than uncertainty.
• Poke some fun at yourself.
• Be mischievous by playing jokes on strangers or friends.

There are endless ways to add humor and enjoyment to your life. When in doubt, shoot for being outrageous. You don’t want to alienate people or be unpleasantly sarcastic, but if you’re aiming to enrich the humor for yourself and the people around you, you may just find yourself living a life that is a bit more fun.