You may have heard the old adage “Laughter is the best medicine.” Is it really true—can laughter really help you feel better?
Let’s try a little experiment. Look at this photo.
Did it make you smile, chuckle, or even laugh?
No? How about this one?
If this brought a smile or bubbled up a slight giggle, you probably are feeling a little happier and lighter than you did before reading this article, right? If you’re still not quite convinced about the benefits of smiling and laughter by experiencing it yourself, here’s a more medically-based explanation as to why smiling and laughing is good for you.
When your body is stressed certain hormones such as cortisol are released. These trigger high blood pressure, jaw pain and headaches, back pain and spasms, an upset and inflamed stomach, and well, we all know what happens to our waistlines when we’re stressed.
In contrast, smiling and laughter can release counteractive hormones such as endorphins and oxytocin (the love hormone). This chemical reaction, can reduce or even reverse the harmful effects stress has on your body. Laughter also:
- Boosts the immune system: Stress weakens your immune system, but laughing can raise infection-fighting antibodies and levels of immune cells, improving your resistance to disease. Laughing can increase blood flow to the brain, and move more oxygen throughout the body, which helps delay aging.
- Protects the heart: Anxiety can cause blockages in our coronary arteries; laughter can loosen the tightness so blood flows better. Laughing conditions heart muscles and exercises our lungs, diaphragm, and abdominal muscles.
- Soothes tension: Laughing stimulates circulation and muscle relaxation throughout the entire body. It also encourages restful sleep. It can lower our blood pressure and relax our minds by easing anger, anxiety, depression, or fear. Like exercise, laughing triggers the release of endorphins; the body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals
- Helps us stay alert, generates creativity, and can improve our memory.
Lynne Murphy, Manager of Employee Assistance Services, works to help provide guidance, support, and resources to employees who are experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, relationship conflicts, and more. In her countless presentations she’s made to organizations and teams about the topic of work-place and personal stress, she shares her first-hand experience about a situation where laughter has made her physical pain go away.
“Last year I was in Illinois packing my brains out to get my house ready to sell. I had been doing back breaking packing for three days and decided to reward myself by going to see a funny movie. When I left I actually thought it felt like I had gotten a great massage and it relieved the tension I had been feeling about the physical packing and the mentality of selling my home.”
Although humor can’t make stressful situations in your life go away, it can help revitalize and give you the energy needed to face difficult circumstances. Whether it’s being stuck at the office late, struggling with a relationship, or just feeling overwhelmed with everyday life, find something or someone who will make you smile and even laugh!
Oh and one last thing…Enjoy!