“Laughter is the best medicine.”
This might sound like a really trite
saying, but there is a lot of truth to it. Laughing really can
be good for your health. Believe it or not, there are several health
benefits to laughter that most of us would never think of. While it's
obvious that having a sense of humor can take some of the stress out
of life, there are several other ways that having a good laugh can
help us improve our health.
One thing that laughing can do is
relieve pain. In Norman Cousins' memoir Anatomy of an Illness, he
speaks of how laughing at episodes of Candid Camera
and Marx Brothers
movies for ten minutes gave him enough relief to give him two hours
of sleep without pain. He has ankylosing spondylitis, a very painful
spine condition. My sister has it too, so she can attest to how
anything that can give some relief is more than welcome. Laughing
helps the body release endorphins, which temporarily relieve pain and
give a feeling of general well-being. It also reduces the level of
stress hormones, which helps the function of antibodies and T-cells.
This boosts the immune system, which goes a long way in preventing
un-funny illnesses. At this time of year, some of us need all the
help we can get!
Laughing
also gives you a whole-body workout. Have you ever noticed that your
muscles feel tighter after a good laugh? That's why. It gives a
workout to the abdominals, lungs, diaphragm and back muscles. While
watching Saturday Night Live
won't get you down to a size six, it can work muscles you might not
otherwise think of.
It's
probably obvious that having a good laugh relieves stress, but this
has more mental benefits that we might think. It stimulates
neurotransmitters that release dopamine, a chemical that is commonly
associated with memory and mood disorders. If you can laugh and get
rid of the stress that is getting in the way, you are more able to
focus on the things you need to. I don't know about anyone else, but
this alone helps me reduce anxiety because I know that I'll be more
able to get things done correctly and and relax. If you can laugh at
yourself, you will be more able to put things that cause you stress
in a different light. That can go a long way in reducing anxiety and
other negative emotions.
Finally,
laughing can even be good for the heart. It increases oxygenation of
the blood and improves blood flow, which makes it easier for the
heart to work. It also lowers blood pressure, which also helps the
heart work better.
As you can see, making it a point to
have a good laugh can go a long way in improving your health. While
there's still a lot of research to be done, there's nothing wrong
with giving it a try. So you can go ahead and get started, here are a
few websites to visit.
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