Laughter Therapy . Laugh at Your Own Risk

They say “laughter is the best medicine”. But laughter is not only a medicine it’s also some sort of an ailment? Hmm…not exactly but laughter can be contagious. The sound of a loud and prolonged laughter can be more contagious than that of colds and cough. Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides.

An average adult laughs 17 times a day while small children laugh more than 400 times. Life is getting harder and sometimes is the survival of the fittest. You thrive if you’re a bit tough and fail if you find yourself weak and undetermined. There are lots of things in this world that could break or make us. And for the times that the world is against us, seems everything is tumbling down on us. What could we possibly do?

In this life full of stress and uncertainties, people tend to be more anxious where frustration plays a big role. People are faced with many responsibilities making it hard to entertain self through humor or even with a simple smile. And because pressure and stress and failure to smile or laugh is some kind of trend today, many people got sick very quickly, why? because stress poses a huge threat to one’s health.

Through research and studies we are taught to de-stress ourselves from all the stress trying to intoxicate us. We can de-stress through many things. Exercise is one. But for those who simply can’t make it, there is already a thing they call laughter therapy. What are the benefits of laughter in our bodies? And why laugh??

We may never thought of the benefits laughter can give us. Through laughter you can have an exercise at the comfort of your own home, or even in the office, anywhere. Because through laughter you can have that “inner jog’” that can move the muscles around your stomach. A good belly laugh reduces stress hormones such as noradrenaline and cortisol which, in large quantities, are toxic to the body. Laughter releases “feel good” hormones such as beta-endorphin and serotonin and helps in mood maintenance.

The many benefits of laughter

Physical Health Benefits:

Boosts immunity
Lowers stress hormones
Decreases pain
Relaxes your muscles
Prevents heart disease

Mental Health Benefits:

Adds joy and zest to life
Eases anxiety and fear
Relieves stress
Improves mood
Enhances resilience

Social Benefits:

Strengthens relationships
Attracts others to us
Enhances teamwork
Helps defuse conflict
Promotes group bonding

Fake laughter

Some people laughs very quickly and easily, that’s their advantage. But how if you’re like me, finds it hard to laugh. Well, good news there is something they call “fake laughter”. Forced laughter is a powerful, readily available and cost-free way for many adults to regularly boost their mood and psychological wellbeing,” said Charles Schaefer, psychology professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey.

It’s good to know

Why would a fake laughter work? Because the body doesn’t recognize it’s fake, even though your brain might, Professor Schaefer said. “Once the brain signals the body to laugh, the body doesn’t care why. It’s going to release endorphins, it’s going to relieve stress as a natural physiological response to the physical act of laughing.”

Some help on your laughter therapy