Laughter Can Heal
There is nothing better in the world than a belly laugh for a good minute or two. When you are with someone and having a conversation, and you both break into such a laugh, it can really help bridge the bond, make connections, and break the ice, for that matter. A burst of laughter can instantly turn the coldness in a room into a warmth that is much-needed to feel welcoming. So, if you are looking for health and wellness tips and how laughter actually affects your life, then you have come to the right place because we'll talk all about that in this article.
Laughter Improves Your Mental Health
I cannot stress enough the importance of mental health in today's world, and laughter plays a big role in it. First of all, when you laugh, you automatically feel good. It gives you a feeling of optimism and a positive approach towards life no matter what you are going through. More than that, laughter also gives you the strength and courage to deal with difficult times and not give up. Mind it—laughter can be contagious, and that is definitely not a bad thing!
One of the primary reasons behind laughter being good for your mental health is that it allows you to relax and calm down even if you are feeling anxious about something at that moment. It can diffuse conflict and help you overcome the overwhelming emotions of life.
Laughter Helps Manage Stress
The fact that laughter is associated with lesser levels of stress is not anything random. There is a background to it. Laughter reduces stress hormones in your body like epinephrine, cortisol, and dopamine and also increases the levels of endorphins. Laughter is often associated with a physical release. Let me give you an example so that you can understand this better. Have you ever felt like crying after you have had a good laugh with a friend? Yes, that exact feeling is what a physical or emotional release is all about—it makes you feel much lighter afterward.
Laughter Boosts T-Cells
Another health benefit of laughter is that it helps in boosting the release of T-cells in the body. Now, these are some special cells in your immune system that are simply waiting for some sort of signal after which they can become activated. Laughter can act as that signal. When you laugh, your T-cells get activated, and your body gets another layer of protection from all kinds of diseases and sicknesses, thus giving you a stronger immune system.
Laughter Improves Your Cardiac Health
Apart from the benefits that have already been mentioned above, laughter is also responsible for your cardiac well-being. It can be an excellent cardiac workout. If you are not capable of doing too much physical activity, you can, in fact, join laughing clubs where all you have to do is laugh, and that itself can boost your heart health. It will get your heart pumping and also has the ability to burn some moderate levels of calories.
So, now that you are more aware of the health benefits of laughter, I hope you will work on laughing more often. Here are some tips that you can incorporate in general. Firstly, spend time with people who engage in humorous conversations. This will give you the opportunity to laugh and also make new friends at the same time. Secondly, if you are trying to bring laughter into your conversations, always try to be spontaneous rather than forced. Release your inhibitions. If you allow things to hold you back, it will do you no good. You can experience laughter in its truest sense only when you allow your deepest feelings to come to the surface.
Remember, laughter is everyone's birthright—no one can take it from you and let no one tell you otherwise. Some people might try to make you feel that laughing, especially for women, is considered unacceptable by society, but never pay heed to such people. If you feel good when laughing, do it! In fact, communications can become so much better if you learn to use humor the right way, and it can even smooth away the slight disagreements that we have with people in our day-to-day lives.