Laughter and Your Health
– Can You Giggle Your Way to Great Health?
There is a connection between laughter and your health. In fact, the health benefits of laughter on your overall well-being shouldn't be ignored.
How many times have you heard someone say that laughter is the best medicine? Increasingly, medical professionals are considering the legitimate physical and emotional benefits of laughter. Some open-minded health experts are designing therapy programs around humor, simulating laughter to elevate mood or to improve pain threshold.
We know that positive thinking can have a significant impact on your life. But, if something as natural as laughing can improve your health or help you overcome chronic pain, then there are good reasons to add these feel-good moments to your lifestyle.
Reader's Digest Laughter is the Best Medicine: All Time Favorites
The funniest jokes, stories, and cartoons from 100 years of Reader's Digest
What Do Scientists Say about Laughter and your Health?
One study on laughter and your health completed a thorough overview of the research currently available to determine the correlation between laughter and your health. In that study, researchers considered laughter and health on various levels, including the potential for laughter to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, enhance longevity, and fight against chronic pain.
Although the results of that particular study were inconsistent, in much of the current data researchers have found strong evidence that humor and laughter can improve pain threshold or enhance tolerance to pain. Unfortunately, the benefits are short-term.
As with many forms of nontraditional medicine, further investigation into the physical benefits of laughter on the brain and other parts of the body is needed to improve health and enhance longevity. Input of this nature may result in long-term effects in the treatment of various conditions such as high blood pressure, chronic pain, and stress.
Laughter Yoga: Daily Laughter Practices for Health and Happiness in Paperback at Amazon
Real Life Experiences Matter
Anecdotal evidence is sometimes all we need until the science catches up.
Many people around the world claim that laughter, as an alternative therapy, has improved their health in various ways. They believe firmly that finding joy in daily life is an effective addition to any treatment plan for conditions associated with chronic pain and illness.
Mental health experts find that laughter and positive thinking are effective treatments for depression and a variety of mental health issues. Whether this is the result of short-term distraction, or to a more substantial impact of laughter on the brain, is yet to be determined.
Furthermore, we know that smiling is a great mood booster because it increases endorphin levels. Have you ever tried to laugh without smiling?
How to Daily Benefit from Laughter
If you suffer from a condition that comes with chronic pain, depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders, you may want to experiment with the correlation between laughter and your health through simulated laughter therapy. Although this therapy is a bit unconventional, there are no real downsides to giving it a try.
While we’re waiting on more scientific data to prove the
deeper and more important physical benefits of laughter, it’s worth
incorporating humor and laughter into your daily life. A few smiles and silly
moments ripe with giggles won’t hurt you, and they’re likely to lift the
spirits of everyone around you as well.
Until science figures out all the reasons why laughter makes us feel so good -- keep laughing!
A joyful heart is good like medicine; but, a broken spirit makes one sick. Proverbs: 17:22
More Topics That May Interest You
Some of the advertisers on my website are affiliate partners, which means that I may receive a small commission from any sale, at no extra cost to you.
For example, the Amazon affiliate advertising program is designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Your purchases help to support this free-information website. Thank you.
The content of this website is for informational purposes only and not intended to be taken as a replacement for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis or treatment by a doctor, dietitian, physical therapist, nutritionist or fitness instructor.
DO NOT BEGIN ANY EXERCISE PROGRAM WITHOUT CHECKING WITH YOUR DOCTOR FOR UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT MAY PREVENT YOU FROM DOING SO.