People say 鈥渓aughter is the best medicine鈥�, but does it actually help?
@Liz53533253
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If the laughter is genuine, it starts a good chain reaction. Serotonin and other 鈥済ood鈥� hormones are released. The brain and the rest of the body get more oxygen and stress levels fall. The laughter stimulates happier thoughts and creates a sense of closeness with those sharing it.
@ginnyjollykidd
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Laughter can help us with lovely endorphins and other such hormones. It exercises the core muscles and the face in one of the loveliest ways to bring out beauty.
Emotionally, it breaks tension. It relaxes a person. It brings happiness, an elusive but necessary emotion.
Beth Frates
Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
While research on laughter indicates it is healthy for us 鈥� physiologically and mentally 鈥� you don鈥檛 need to read medical journal articles to understand this. You just need to enjoy the sensations that accompany a good belly laugh that triggers the release of endorphins and serotonin, the body鈥檚 natural feel-good hormones, as well as natural .
Laughter can also reduce stress. Studies show that levels of the stress hormone cortisol are reduced after a bout of laughter. Other research has linked laughing with increased pain tolerance as well as benefits to the cardiovascular and immune systems.
I work in the field of lifestyle medicine, which is based on six pillars: physical activity, nutrition, sleep, stress resilience, social connection and the avoidance of risky substances. Laughter supports many of these pillars. For example, one of the quickest ways to connect with someone is through sharing a laugh at a joke or a funny situation. .
In 2016, I co-wrote a , using deliberate laughter as a way to tap into its natural benefits. This prescription might take the form of deliberately watching your favourite comedy show for 30 minutes to get a good laugh. There are also laughter yoga classes in which groups of people start laughing in response to the laughter of an instructor. Sometimes, the participants don鈥檛 even know why they are laughing, but the whole class is doing so, and smiling and feeling good.
Kim Russell
via Facebook
Why do we laugh? I think it is about the brain making new and often unexpected connections.
When this happens, we feel euphoria because we have achieved something new or revived something from a past euphoric connection. This overrides negative thoughts and makes us feel better about ourselves.
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