According to The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine, laughter has many profound physiological and psychological benefits. It can strengthen your immune system, relax muscles, improve respiration, promote mental and psychological well-being, etc.
But how many of us laugh every day? Rarely do we do so. We have become so busy with our colleges and jobs that we don’t find time to laugh. Laughter Online University found that children laugh 300 to 400 times on an average, whereas adults laugh only 17.5 times in a day. It’s no wonder why we adults suffer mental problems like anxiety and depression.
But if you still don’t know why you should laugh, here I have written ten benefits of laughter that would help you understand why laughter is the best medicine?
10 Amazing benefits of laughter
1. Reduces stress
Have you ever laughed when you are stressed? If you have, then you very well know how powerful stress killer laughter is. There is science behind this. When you get stressed, your body releases hormones such as Cortisol and Epinephrine. Continuous releases of these hormones may cause anxiety, depression, and heart diseases. But when you laugh, the stress hormones get reduced and helps you relieve your stress. So, whenever you feel stressed, laugh your heart out, and you would feel easy.
2. Ensures a healthy relationship
I have personal experience related to this. My girlfriend and I used to have issues and often fought with each other. It happened for over a month. But suddenly, one day, she sent me a super funny meme while on call, and we both laughed at it. Just laughing for few seconds together made us come closer and forget the problems.
And so, I found out that I can strengthen relationship bonding by watching comedy movies together or sharing memes. Laughing together is an excellent way of forgetting problems in relationships, increase understanding, and make cherished memories together.
3. Helps you avoid anger
I had anger issues when I was in school. When I would get angry, I would forget everything and do something that would later regret me. Meditation and laughter helped me to control this problem. Whenever I felt angry, I would try to laugh at myself or the situation that makes me angry, and it would help me forget it and find joy in anger.
“Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.”
— Mark Twain
4. Improves your mood
Laughter can help you forget your problems and improve your mood. When you are stressed or fearful, just having a guffaw, snort, or ha ha ha ha can change your mental condition. The act of laughing is so powerful a medicine that it has become a yoga named laughter yoga. This involves laughing out loud by making the sound of– ha ha ha. Laughter yoga helps you improve your mood and kill anxiety and depression.
5. Makes everything easy
One of the most significant benefits of laughter is that it helps you take everything lightly and find fun everywhere. If you feel physical or mental pain, laughing out loud can help you forget the pain and have fun. If you are going through a difficult phase in your life, laughter can be a powerful weapon to help you survive this easily. Whether you are stressed about exams, worried about your interview results, afraid of going bankrupt, laughter can make every problem small and help you deal with it effectively.
“If laughter cannot solve your problems, it will definitely DISSOLVE your problems; so that you can think clearly what to do about them.”
– Dr. Madan Kataria
6. Prevents diseases
A burst of good laughter increases blood circulation and oxygenation in your body. This acts as an exercise for the heart as it has to pump more blood. So, your heart becomes stronger, and it helps you prevent cardiovascular diseases. Laughter enables you to strengthen your immune system because it produces natural killer cells that can protect your body from diseases. Furthermore, it also helps reduces your blood pressure and burns calories, making you fit.
7. Helps you relax
Are you tired after working hard at the office? No problems; laughter is here for your service. One of the most enticing benefits of laughter is that it relaxes your body and mind. This is why whenever I feel tired, I would watch a comedy video on YouTube or watch The Bing Bang Theory, and it would take all my worries. It helps to refresh myself and then start my work.
8. Makes you attractive
What do you think is more attractive- a sad and sober face or a laughing face? It is obvious. Laughter gives a sense of positivity to you and your surroundings. This is the reason why you would always find either a laughing or smiling face on advertisement posters. Moreover, when you make someone laugh, you would attract them, and they are more likely to be a good friend of yours.
“Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.”
— W. H. Auden
9. Boosts your confidence
Have you ever experienced that when you laugh at a fearful situation, you feel more courage and confidence? If you ask me, I have experienced this. Once I had to deliver a speech for my school morning assembly, and I felt extreme fear. I was sweating in buckets and felt as if the land beneath my feet is sliding. But I had a friend with me; I talked with him and laughed for a few seconds just to show myself cool.
This simple laughter had a significant effect on me, and I felt light and relieved. I felt as if I could do this and experienced a fantastic sense of confidence. Now you can guess how I performed in that morning assembly.
10. Makes your life interesting
One of the most notable benefits of laughter is it makes your life colorful. When you laugh, your body relaxes, and you feel more optimistic. Laughter is a source of enjoyment that helps you forget your past and future and live in the moment. No matter how painful the situation is when you laugh, your problems vanish, and fear dissolves.
Related: 30 Ways to make your life more interesting
Conclusion
Laughter is a powerful force that can fill your life with positivity and memories. We saw some of the benefits of laughter like- it reduces stress, prevents diseases, improves mood, ensures a healthy relationship, avoids anger, boosts confidence, makes everything easy, makes you attractive, helps you relax, and fills colors in your life.
So, find out what makes you laugh, what is your laughter source; it may be Mr. Bean movies, The Bing Bang Theory episodes, memes, or comedy novels. And whenever you feel sad next time, try to spend time with your laughter source. It will certainly make your day.
These were the ten benefits of laughing which I have experienced in my life. I hope it helped you, and thank you for reading and making it to the end.