Chuckling. Giggling. Snickering. Hooting. No matter which way you choose to express humor, laughter is really the world’s best medicine. Think about what happens when you laugh. Your stress level goes down, your anger decreases, your perspective on things becomes much more clear, and you genuinely FEEL BETTER. Let’s face it, it’s a stressful world out there, and laughter can help us roll with any of the punches that life may present to us. When it comes down to it, we all need to learn to laugh more.
So, it comes as no surprise that laughter has become an official therapeutic tool. Not only is laughter good for the spirit, but it also helps heal, nourish, and strengthen the body. The power of laughter is so strong that that hospitals across the world are using laughter therapy to help improve their patient recovery rates.
The physical benefits of laugh therapy include:
- Lowered blood pressure
- Reduced stress hormones
- Boost immune system by raising the amount of infection-fighting T-cells
- Releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killers
There are also many emotional and spiritual benefits of laughter! They are:
- Stress and anxiety reduction
- Increased feelings of happiness
- Improves mood
- Strengthens relationships
- Helps reduce conflict
Laughter is a universal language. In India’s popular “laughing clubs”, participants gather together early in the morning for the sole purpose of helping each other laugh. Laughter Yoga is an international movement that combines humor with yogic breathing (pranayama). But no matter what country you’re from, humor helps to bring people together and break down barriers. Best of all, laughing is free and has virtually no negative side effects. Incorporating laughter into your daily life is fun and easy. Check out our favorite tips to help you start chuckling:
- Smile – smiling is the precursor to laughing because it gets you in the right mindset to experience humor. Just like laughter, smiling is highly contagious, so pass it on!
- Spend time with fun people – good friends know how to laugh. Finding the humor in everyday events can help you avoid taking yourself too seriously.
- Count your blessings – make a list of all the positive things in your life. When you remember the good things, you will help distance yourself from the negative thoughts that prevent you from being cheerful.
Happy laughing!
