Laughter is not only associated with bringing happiness in life but also with a number of mental and physical health advantages. Irrespective of what state a person is in, laughter acts in a therapeutic way and eases stress thereby relaxing body and mind.
In What Ways Can a Good Laugh Benefit You?
The line of health benefits associated with a good laugh runs long and covers advantages ranging from prevention of mental and emotional setbacks such as depression to improvement of heart health. Let’s explore how exactly laughter plays its role:
#1: Boosts Mental Health
It’s not that you can laugh off your depression. Laughter is temporary but it induces a certain level of optimism in the person which makes him overcome the negativity in his life. Since the accumulated negativity fails to cross the threshold, depression can be prevented. Few researches have also concluded that laughter is used as a healing medicine by people who feel that some part of their life is damaged. Moreover, if people are able to use laughter at the right time, they tend to improve their self-image as they feel their company is enjoyed by other people. Laughter acts as a no side-effect medicine for people suffering from dementia.
#2: Boosts Physical Health
Though laughter does not work like ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’, yet it has a number of benefits. Studies based on surveys and researches have shown that people who frequently laugh generally stay a little active and also feel good from inside. They feel less stressed even when conditions grow too intense. The magical effect of laughter is noticed in cancer patients who tend to improve the quality of their life with the inclusion of small amounts of laughter now and then.
#3: Boosts Heart Health
Laughing is a good exercise for lungs as well as for the heart. It can be biologically linked with good heart health. When we laugh, the flow of oxygen-rich blood through the heart increases which is probably due to the effect of a chemical substance endorphin. This increased flow of blood helps fight the negative feelings as the body feels energetic and the mind becomes more clear and optimistic in thinking. Apart from laughing, there are a few other activities that release endorphins such as listening to your favourite songs.
Diverting the Path of Laughter towards Your Life…
Laughter is important but it’s not for everyone that it comes easy. Especially considering today’s work environment and lifestyle, people have to make conscious effort to invite laughter into their lives. And those who don’t try are generally engrossed in stress and worries. If you are at least aware that your life is missing some good-laugh component due to job stress, financial issues or chronic illness, you should make some effort to add laughter to your life. Here are various ways in which you can do so:
- Watch a funny movie
- Read jokes and funny stories
- Meet old buddies and relive those no-tension, happy talks
- Assume things and laugh about them. This can be a wonderful idea when you are with your friends.
- Visit enjoyable places from where you can grab some good memories to remember be happy.
- Find friends to join you in laughter therapy as a part of exercising.
- Enrol yourself in laughter yoga activities. The power of breathing yoga along with the benefits of laughter and happiness release the tension in body and help the person attain a relaxed state of mind.
Start off with your session of laughter today and give your body and mind a new sense of relaxation!
By Aditi Tyagi
Aditi Tyagi, Editor at Tech-Hunt IT Innovation Pvt. Ltd. loves to read, write and share interesting facts about healthcare. When she is not spending time on her keyboard, she loves to read novels and explore health magazines. Aditi suggests interested readers to visit www.aarogyadata.com for more interesting content on mind, body, heart!
Photo Credit: jon madison, kamile
