Not only is laughter fun and easy but it’s free! It is healing and has been shown to improve health, your emotional state and mood. Research shows that even arranging the face into the features of a smile can cause patients to feel happy.
Laughter itself releases endorphins in the brain. It squeezes the larynx and muscles in the face which causes the body to gasp for air and sometimes produce tears. All of these things signal the brain to release euphoric morphine-like chemicals that make us feel better.
Laughter benefits our immune systems because it increases the number of T-cells in the body. T cells are vital because they attack viruses, and cancer cells. It also increases our B cells, which helps destroy many types of infections for life. All of this better equips our bodies to fight off disease and stay healthier.
Laughter is even considered exercise because it increases our heart rates, lowers our blood pressure and causes higher oxygen levels in the blood, which strengthens our muscles. According to research laughing 100 times in a day offers the same benefits you’d get from 15 minutes on an exercise bike. For most adults this takes about 5 days to achieve since most of us only laugh about 17 times a day.
Laughter has benefits on brain function including enhanced memory, better problem solving, increased creativity and dealing with stress by looking at issues with a less stressful perspective. Not to mention the social benefits; everyone wants to be around a person with a sense of humor. It’s infectious!
Another inexpensive way to stay healthy and happy is by getting rid of the “ANTS” in our brain. ANTS are otherwise known as Automatic Negative Thoughts. Research states that when we take on a positive attitude, we can add longer lifespans, lower rates of mental illnesses such as depression, and decrease our chances of suffering from many other diseases including the common cold & cardiovascular disease. People who suffer from depression think negative thoughts regularly. Negative thinking also induces health issues like obsessive compulsive disorder and general anxiety.
Anger is another dangerous emotion that can cause apoptosis, otherwise known as ‘programmed cell death’ whereby the cells basically ‘commit suicide’. Too much of this can be harmful, causing diseases like cancer due to the continuous mutations that occur during apoptosis. This is why a pessimistic person is more likely to have health problems.
One way to escape negative thinking is to focus on your thoughts throughout the day. Are they rational? Are you beating yourself up? If so, replace each one with a positive thought. Pray, meditate, or focus on someone else’s needs. Get out of yourself, and serve others. It won’t be a change that happens over night, but you’ll feel the health benefits and thank yourself for it later on.
So keep this in mind next time problems in life arise, rather than thinking about things critically, with no light at the end of the tunnel, remember that it won’t last forever and more importantly, you can’t change anything by worrying about it. And if all else fails, crack a joke, watch a funny movie, or just start laughing for no reason at all. Start a domino effect and share the wealth and the endorphins. So laugh and stay healthy.