Tuesday, June 21, 2005
The Power of Laughter
Researchers are now saying laughter can do a lot more than they ever thought. It can basically bring balance to all the components of the immune system, which helps us fight off diseases. Laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones. In doing this, laughter provides a safety valve that shuts off the flow of stress hormones and the fight-or-flight compounds that swing into action in our bodies when we experience stress, anger or hostility. These stress hormones suppress the immune system and raise blood pressure among other things.
Laughter provides psychological benefits. People often store negative emotions, such as anger, sadness and fear, rather than expressing them. When held inside these emotions can cause biochemical changes that can affect our bodies. Laughter provides a way for these emotions to be harmlessly released and thus, is cathartic.
What may surprise you even more is the fact that researchers estimate that laughing 100 times is equal to 10 minutes on the rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Laughing can be a total body workout! Blood pressure is lowered, and there is an increase in vascular blood flow and in oxygenation of the blood, which further assists healing. Laughter also gives your diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles a workout. That's why you often feel exhausted after a long bout of laughter -- you've just had an aerobic workout!
Increasingly, mental health professionals are suggesting "laughter therapy," which teaches people how to laugh -- openly -- at things that aren't usually funny and to cope in difficult situations by using humor. Did you know that there is now an International Society for Humor Studies?
Put more laughter in your life:
Laughter provides psychological benefits. People often store negative emotions, such as anger, sadness and fear, rather than expressing them. When held inside these emotions can cause biochemical changes that can affect our bodies. Laughter provides a way for these emotions to be harmlessly released and thus, is cathartic.
What may surprise you even more is the fact that researchers estimate that laughing 100 times is equal to 10 minutes on the rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Laughing can be a total body workout! Blood pressure is lowered, and there is an increase in vascular blood flow and in oxygenation of the blood, which further assists healing. Laughter also gives your diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles a workout. That's why you often feel exhausted after a long bout of laughter -- you've just had an aerobic workout!
Increasingly, mental health professionals are suggesting "laughter therapy," which teaches people how to laugh -- openly -- at things that aren't usually funny and to cope in difficult situations by using humor. Did you know that there is now an International Society for Humor Studies?
Put more laughter in your life:
- Figure out what makes you laugh and do it (or read it or watch it) more often.
- Surround yourself with funny people -- be with them every chance you get.
- Develop your own sense of humor. Maybe even take a class to learn how to be a better comic -- or at least a better joke-teller at that next party. Be funny every chance you get -- as long as it's not at someone else's expense!
- Laugh even when you don’t have a good reason to laugh. A good belly laugh will trigger the endorphins and soon you will be feeling the shift in your body and your psyche.
- Begin to see the joke of life and let go of all the significance and heaviness we place on it.
