Laughter is the perfect antidote to many of life’s challenges. Having a good laugh is beneficial to your emotional and physical wellbeing in a number of positive ways. A proper belly laugh helps to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and pain, and also triggers many healthy physical and emotional changes in the body.
Are You Having A Laugh?
Laughing easily and often comes naturally to young children. The older you get, the less inclined you are to look at the funny side of life. Re-learning to laugh, in the carefree way that children do, can help you to experience life in a much more pleasurable and happy way.
To support your wellbeing it’s important that you boost your mood, strengthen your immune system, reduce pain, and minimise the effects of stress. Laughter does all of those things for you, and makes you feel great. Giggling, chuckling and deep belly laughing also helps you to feel more connected, grounded and content with life. With so many positive things going for it, there is no reason to hold back on having a good laugh every day.
The Benefits Of Laughing
Physical Benefits:
When you laugh your muscles automatically relax, and stress and tension begins to reduce. The release of feel good endorphins is triggered when you indulge in spontaneous laughter or share funny jokes. The more you laugh, the greater the boost to the immune system you will enjoy. Your body will feel the benefits for up to one hour after your boisterous hilarity has ended. You’ll also burn an average of 40 calories per 10 minute laughing fit.
Laughter also protects the heart and helps to regulate the blood vessel function and blood flow. This is beneficial in protecting against heart attack and cardiovascular problems.
Emotional Benefits:
It is impossible to focus on distressing emotions when you are busy having a laugh. Laughter helps you release feelings of anger, anxiety, tension, sadness or resentment. The more you laugh, the greater your perspective shift will be. This means that a situation that seemed to be all doom and gloom looks a lot less negative and challenging once you have released the attached psychological emotions through laughing.
Social Benefits:
Everyone loves to be around happy and upbeat people. When you smile you invite someone to share your positive attitude. This draws people towards you and helps you to strengthen connections, relationships and bonds. In the workplace, sharing a laugh can help to ease tension, boost morale and create a better working environment for everyone.
Creating An Upbeat Mood
There are a number of ways in which you can lift your mood, and increase your opportunities of enjoying a good laugh.
Smiling is contagious, and quickly helps to shift your perspective and alter your mood. Smile at everyone that you interact with, and spread the happy vibe all around.
Counting your blessings allows you to appreciate everything and everyone in your life. Thinking positive thoughts and valuing all aspects of life enables you to have a happier outlook.
Playful people have the ability to find humour in everyday situations. Spend time with people who have a fun attitude and lighthearted disposition. Their playfulness will rub off on you.
Releasing inhibitions enables you to be your authentic self. When you find something highly amusing resist the temptation to hold back and suppress your genuine feelings. Laugh out loud and let go of your concerns.
Exploring laughter allows you to attract more fun moments into your life. Share a joke with someone, and ask about funny experiences and events. Be open to exploring humour in lots of different and creative ways.
Being spontaneous is a great way to invite more laughter into your life. When you are open to fun opportunities there is no room to express negative emotions like resentment or anger.
Engage with funny entertainment. Watch comedy movies, TV sitcoms and hilarious videos whenever you want to lift your mood. A night out, with friends, at a stand-up comedy show is a great way to share the laughs with the people you love.
