Laughter is No Laughing Matter!

How wonderful is it that we laugh because our bodies cannot contain Joy!  Laughter is an instant vacation. Don’t you love people who make you laugh? I do! I honestly think that it is the thing that I like the most – to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills without going to the doctor. You must have noticed that when you post original and funny images or videos, how easy it becomes to get a lot of reaction from the public. Laughing is and will always remain the best form of therapy. The famous saying goes that when you laugh, the world laughs with you. And it is true. When you laugh, you change. When you change, the whole world changes. Laughter is the most beautiful and most beneficial therapy God ever granted humanity. A good hearty laugh everyday relieves a person from stress and physical tension. Thus, even the muscles are relaxed after good laughter.

The Benefits of Laughter

Truly said: laughter is the best priceless medicine that is fun, free, and easy to use. 

As children, we giggle and laugh hundreds of times a day, but as adults, our lives become more hectic, and we seldom laugh. But, when you seek more humor and laughter, you improve your emotional health, strengthen your relationships, find happiness—and even add years to your life. Doctors have revealed that people who have a positive outlook on life tend to fight illness much better than people who tend to have a negative outlook on life. So smile, laugh, and live longer!

Benefits of Laughter and Humor

Physical Health Benefits.

Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, lively laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for 45 minutes. Laughter has the following physical effects on our body: 

• It boosts immunity. It boosts the immune system. Laughter boosts the immune system and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance. 
• It releases stress. Laughter decreases stress hormones and releases natural feel-good chemicals for the body. Endorphins boost mode, promoting an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
• It is suitable for respiration. Laughter can do good for your lungs and respiratory system. Laughter makes your exhalations more effective. When you laugh, your lungs are rid of stale air, and more oxygen can enter because laughter helps to expand alveoli in your lungs. 
• It lowers blood pressure. Laughing increases and regulates blood circulation, delivers oxygen and nutrients effectively in the system, and supports the immune system. It also de-stresses and allows the muscles to relax. Stress is a principal reason for high blood pressure, and laughter is an excellent antidote for stress.
• Improves cardiac health ( protects the heart ). Laughter is a unique form of cardio workout, especially for those incapable of doing any other physical activity due to injury or illness. It gets your heart pumping and burns the same amount of calories per hour as walking at a slow to moderate pace. So, laugh your heart into health. Laughter improves blood vessels’ function and increases blood flow, helping protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. 
• Works on your abs. It can help you tone your abs. When you are laughing, your stomach’s muscles expand and contract, similar to when you intentionally exercise for your abs. Meanwhile, the muscles which are not in action to laugh are getting an opportunity and time to relax. Add laughter to your ab routine exercise and get a toned tummy.
• It burns calories. When you laugh for 10-15 minutes, it helps in burning 50 or more calories. But, don’t rely on laughter to help you lose weight, though. 
• It is an excellent exercise for the facial muscles. Laughing increases the blood supply to your cheeks that nourish the skin and makes your face glow. It tones up the front., giving you an attractive look.

Mental Health Benefits  

We gain a lot from laughing! Laughter has the following positive effects on our overall mental health:

• It lightens anger’s heavy load. Nothing diffuses violence and conflict faster than an apportioned laugh. Looking at the funny side can enable you to move on from disputes without holding onto tartness.
• Eases distressing emotions: Laughter counteracts intense emotions such as anxiety, sadness, and grief, which are all reasons to an unrelaxed mind and body.
• Revitalizes: Along with decreasing stress, laughter also increases and boosts our energy levels, which helps us to stay focused more easily.
• Changes your perspective and outlook: Laughter helps us access and analyze other’s points of view. Moreover, we begin to see something in a new and more secure way when we can laugh about it. Besides, humor helps us not to take things so seriously that it may harm us.
• Reduces stress: When we smile and laugh, cortisol levels, also known as the stress hormone, decrease. Thus, lower levels of stress are better for our mental health. Therefore, laughter increases our stress resilience.
• Brings joy, fun, and zest into our life: This one is self-explanatory!

 Social Benefits 

Laughter is mainly about interpersonal relationships and bonds. We all are a part of a society that tends to segregate, isolate, and divide people. Laughter, smile, humor, and comedy are the new age communication ways to bond with each other.

• Laughter improves communication

Laughing together fosters better communication and improves cooperation and empathy among people with different backgrounds, leading to a less confrontational approach, less intense situations, and a radical change from individual competitiveness to team cooperation. 

• Laughter promotes person-to-person bonding.

80% of our laughter occurs during everyday comments in everyday social situations and only acts as social signals of goodwill and friendship. 

Simulated Laughter

If nothing seems funny, it’s still possible to laugh.

Simulated laughter is triggered by oneself at will (self-induced, self-initiated, voluntary), with no specific reason (purposeful, unconditional), and therefore not elicited by humor, fun, other. It gives the same benefits as when laughing when the real thing and instead can be more fun and productive. Plus, when you hear others laugh, even for no apparent reason, it often triggers genuine laughter within you. To practice simulated laughter, search for laugh yoga apps or laugh therapy people or groups which are now available in ample. You can also start simply by laughing at other people’s jokes, even if you don’t find them funny. Both you and the other person will bond well. It will draw you closer, and the bond will strengthen, and who knows, it may even lead to some spontaneous laughter.

Ways to create opportunities to laugh?

• Watch a funny movie, TV show, or a video.
• Go out with friends or co-workers out to a comedy club.
• Seek out and add funny people to your life.
• Share a joke or an amusing event with friends and relatives.
• Check out bookstore’s or the library humor section and read comic pages.
• Host game night with friends. 
• Play with a pet.
• Join the “laughter yoga” class.
• Goof around with children.
• Indulge in fun activities (e.g., bowling, miniature golfing, karaoke).

To sum it up, laughter helps you feel good. The good feeling that you get while laughing stays with you even when you have stopped laughing. Thus, laughter helps you with a positive outlook in difficult times. A slight smile or a laugh can do a world of good for you.