The Power of Laughter
It’s no secret that laughter makes you feel good. Think about the last time you laughed, I mean really laughed, and how wonderful it felt. Sometimes, all it takes to turn around a bad day is a good dose of the giggles. And, it’s contagious. How many times do you hear someone else laughing and can’t help but join in? It’s nearly impossible!
There are many ways in which laughter is good for your emotional well-being, and for your physical health as well. In fact, laugher is the most potent antidote to stress, pain and conflict. Laughter really is the best medicine.
Here are a just a few ways laughter can help improve your health.
Helps you relax
A good laugh session helps relieve physical tension and stress. You can often feel the physical benefits of laughter for up to 45 minutes afterwards. So, if you are feeling tense, a giggle may just be exactly what you need.
Jump-starts your endorphins
Endorphins are described as: “chemicals produced naturally by the nervous system to cope with pain or stress. They are often called “feel-good” chemicals because they can act as a pain reliever and happiness booster.” And, laughter can help boost your endorphins, making you feel great and full of energy.
Does your heart good
Did you know that laughter helps to improve the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow? Amazing, isn’t it? So, do your heart some good and keep on laughing.
Burns calories
According to the Journal of Obesity, laughing for 10 or 15 minutes every day can burn around 40 calories. While this doesn’t replace physical activity, shedding a few extra calories throughout the day isn’t a bad thing!
Helps with conflict
Laughter is an excellent way to help diffuse anger and conflict. Choosing to move on and not hold onto bitterness can be challenging. However, focusing more on the bright side can often help lighten the load of your burdens.
So, now that we know some of the benefits of laughter, how can you incorporate more moments of funny into your every day life? Here are just a few suggestions.
Set the intent to laugh more: make a conscious effort to find some funny throughout your day. Seek out what makes you laugh and make it a priority.
Smile more often: incorporating more smile into your life will help encourage laughter. Plus, it takes less energy to smile than it does to frown, so that’s an extra bonus. And, your smile just might change the day of someone else, and that is always a good thing.
Watch some funny: With so many streaming services, you are sure to find something that strikes your funny bone. Whether it is a funny movie or laugh-filled TV sitcom, watching something that you find entertaining is an excellent way to get some more laughter into your life.
Spend time with your favourite people: Whether it is your significant other, grandchild, or friend, time spent with those you love most is a mood enhancer. And, more than likely, laughter will ensue. If you have small children in your life, you know that time spent with little ones is a great ways to increase your laugh quota.
How do you incorporate laughter into your day? I would love to know! So, friends, go forth into the world and find that funny.