Humor and laughter health benefits

The physical, mental and social health benefits of Humor and Laughter

The Physical powers

Health and laughter combine, because when a person laughs, all of the body systems are involved. Muscles contract, respiration increases in volume and rate, and blood pressure is elevated.

Body temperature increases and the central nerve system is activated. The real benefit, however, is that the activity levels of these systems when the body is at rest, is experienced in breathing, pumping of the blood and muscle contractions.

After a good laugh, these levels fall below normal, giving us the feelings of deep relaxation and overall good feeling.

Laughter makes it easier to deal with life and its many challenges. People who laugh don't worry as much as people who don't laugh.

Laughter helps us cope with challenges and deal with conflict better, because it provides us with a better perspective.

Laughter makes us cope with problems better. When we trust, we drop our defenses. laughter opens up, and allows us to be vulnerable and as a result we become more willing to make changes.

Laughter lifts us up and makes life worth living. Laughter makes us feel safer and makes us feel less awkward. It also pushes stress and anxiety into the background.

Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones, such as cortical, epinephrine, adrenaline, dopamine, and growth hormones. At the same time it increases the level of healthy hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters.

An inner jogging workout. A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs, works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed. It provides a good workout for the heart. Laughing 100 times is equivalent to 10 minutes on a rowing machine, or 15 minutes on an exercise bike.

Physical release. Laughing like crying provides a physical and emotional release.

Positive frame of mind. Laughter takes focus away from anger, guilt, fear, stress and depression.

Change of perspective. Humor and laughter give us a more lighthearted perspective on things.

Fights off illness. Optimistic people who laugh have stronger systems and generally healthier. Laughter decreases stress hormones that restrict blood vessels and suppress immune activity.

Longevity. Elderly optimistic people are less likely to die before their pessimistic counterparts. A study confirmed that with adjustments for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and other health considerations, optimists were 71% less likely to die than pessimists.

Laughter is the best medicine against heart disease. A study found that people with heart disease were 40% less likely to laugh compared to people of the same age without heart disease.

Humor and laughter create the balance we need to get through the turbulence of life comfortably.

The Mental Powers

Research has shown that humor and laughter relieve stress. When you use humor and laughter, it is impossible to be stressed at the same time. Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones.

Our response to stressful situations can be altered by whether we view something as a threat, or as a challenge. Humor gives a more lighthearted perspective and can help us to view situations as challenges, and so make them less threatening and more positive.

The Social Powers

Laughter connects us with others. It is contagious, so with bringing more laughter into you life, you can help others around you to laugh more and benefit as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, it is possible to reduce stress levels.

You can view/listen to comedy TV, movies, videos, CD's. There is an abundance of comedies in theaters,movie/video stores, on your TV, so that humor and laughter can be easily accessed by all of us.

Laugh with friends at every opportunity. Socializing with friends is a great way to bring more humor into your life.

Look for the humor in life instead of whining and complaining about life's frustrations. Make an effort to laugh about them. Most of the time , when you look back on some of these stress situations, you tend to laugh about them. Don't wait till later, laugh about them now!