A lot of research has been done on laughter and its ability to heal and restore the body, and the truth of the matter is that laughter actually has many positive benefits. In fact, it may just be the best medicine around.
Laughter helps remind us of simpler, happier times, and it helps remind us that life is supposed to be a fun and fascinating journey, not a torture chamber. In many ways, laughter helps us be the best that we can be.
Laughter reminds us of what really is important in life, and it helps us put things in perspective. Laughter releases your body’s endorphins, your feel-good chemicals. In essence, laughter is nature’s own pain reliever, and it may be much more effective than any drug you could ever purchase.
Laughter’s Social and Mental Benefits
Besides laughter’s ability to lower stress and boost your immunity, it also has many social and mental benefits:
• Adds joy to your life
• Improves your resilience and immunity
• Improves your mood
• Relieves anxiety
• Strengthens relationships
• Promotes bonding
Laughter and Productivity
• Companies that use humor as part of their business plan are much better off in the end than companies that tend to see humor as an aggravation or an annoyance.
• Someday, humor just might be as typical as a coffee break.
Laughter and Humor Can Help You:
• Better manage stress
• Be more creative and innovative
• Help you adapt and deal with change
• Raise morale
• Build teams
• Better solve problems
• Be better managers and leaders
Incorporating Humor Is About:
• An attitude of fun and play
• Discovering new ideas
• Engaging the employee
• Helping the employee think differently
Laughter Is a Wonderful Medicine
• Laughter can help increase hope and optimism, which are natural progressions to innovation and creativity.
• When people feel more hopeful and optimistic as a result of humor or a good laugh, this can actually stimulate creative thought, prompting people to forget about or even discard negative ways of thinking and behaving and reacting.
• People who think more positively think more creatively and in turn can be more innovative.
Laughter and Stress Management
• Laughter may just be the perfect stress management tool because it is a wonderful coping mechanism.
• Humor can help us look at unpleasant experiences in a new way by helping us reframe how we feel about something.
Laughter Can Help You:
• Minimize physical, mental or emotional pain
• Look at things from a fresh perspective
• Better manage stress and anxiety
• Relieve pressure
The Many Benefits of Laughter
Physical benefits of laughter:
• Increased endorphins and dopamine
• Increased relaxation
• Stress reduction
• Boost the immune and circulatory systems
• Enhance oxygen intake
• Stimulate the heart and lungs
• Relax muscles throughout the body
• Trigger the release of endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers)
• Ease digestion/soothes stomachaches
• Relieve pain
• Balance blood pressure
Cognitive benefits of humor:
• Increase creativity
• Improve problem-solving abilities
• Enhance memory (for funny or humorous material)
• Better ability to cope with stress by providing an alternative, much less serious perspective
Emotional benefits of humor:
• Better mood
• Feeling of well-being
• Lower incidence of depression, anxiety and tension
• Better self-esteem
• Improved resilience to problems
• Better sense of hope, optimism and vigor
• More energetic
Social benefits of humor:
• Better bonding with family and friends
• Enhanced group identity and cohesiveness
• Better sense of friendliness and altruism
• Enhanced attractiveness to others
• Happier marriages and close relationships
Bottom Line
In conclusion, laughter helps improve one’s attitude, and it is a powerful mood-booster. Laughter can reduce stress and ease tension, and it can promote relaxation.
It helps you sleep better and enhances the quality of your life in every way. It can also help to strengthen your social bonds and your relationships because it can enhance your sense of well-being.
Laughter may just be one of the best medicines there is.