When considering healthy practices, you likely think about exercising regularly, eating well and getting enough restorative sleep. But laughter is also a fantastic way to invest in both mental and physical wellness.
Laughter can reduce stress hormones and enhance infection-fighting antibodies in your body, making you more resistant to disease. Furthermore, laughter can help improve your mood and enhance pain tolerance.
1. It Lowers Your Blood Pressure
Laughter activates our nervous system’s relaxation response and has the immediate effect of lowering blood pressure and increasing circulation. A real belly laugh releases nitric oxide which dilates your blood vessels resulting in less inflammation and prevention of plaque build-up within them.
Laughter also helps reduce stress hormones while simultaneously increasing immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, releasing neuropeptides that fight sickness and cell damage.
Though watching comedies or spending time with funny friends may help, seeking and enjoying humor every day may prove more beneficial. By surrounding yourself with positive people who bring positivity into the world, your perspective on life and health may shift positively – something which could give you greater resilience for combatting COVID-19 pandemic or any other life challenges that come your way.
2. It Lowers Your Stress Hormones
Inflammation is often the precursor to disease, and laughter has the power to alleviate stress hormone levels that narrow your blood vessels and increase risk of heart attack. Lungs producing large volumes of air while laughing makes abdominal muscles contract – this allows us to gain back control over emotions, take less seriously situations that might otherwise overwhelm us and make healthier choices overall.
Laughter with those you care for is also a powerful way to rebalance your nervous system and reduce defensive stress responses like fight or flight, so that you can enjoy each moment more fully with those you cherish, creating meaningful, long-term relationships in the process.
3. It Relieves Pain
Laughing can be like aerobic exercise; it increases both your heart rate and blood flow for a short period of time, helping improve vascular function and decrease your risk of stroke or heart attack. Furthermore, laughing releases endorphins which counteract negative stress hormone effects while strengthening immunity systems.
When we laugh, our brain releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins which act as natural painkillers reducing physical discomfort.
Researchers have found that laughing at jokes or spending time with people who make you laugh can help to alleviate pain. Perhaps laughing helps us form connections with others while counteracting defensive stress responses.
4. It Boosts Your Immune System
Laughter stimulates both your mind and body to release nitric oxide, dilating blood vessels to improve circulation and decrease inflammation – both key elements in protecting against heart disease.
Studies have demonstrated that those with strong senses of humor tend to experience lower mortality rates. Scientists theorize this is likely because people with a healthy outlook on life tend to find the humor even in difficult situations and relationships.
Laughter can help us move away from anger, negativity, hopelessness and bitterness and toward positive emotions. Look for ways to incorporate laughter into your daily routine – for instance spending time with friends or family and laughing over something they say or do; watching comedy movies; listening to funny podcasts/videos or playing silly games together are all ways you can incorporate more laughter into life!
5. It Increases Your Mood
Laughter and humor provide a welcome relief from stress, as they offer an escape route away from anxiety-inducing thoughts and emotions. By shifting focus away from worries, laughter helps lower adrenaline levels and cortisol levels over time, ultimately improving mood.
Enhance your happiness by spending time with those who make you laugh or by watching comedic films and TV shows. Also try laughing during mundane situations in order to experience its physical benefits.
Those struggling to find humor or lack an adequate sense of humor should consult a therapist. Taylor Counseling Group offers expert care and support services that can help manage difficult emotions effectively, so call us now to get started.
