Did you know that the sound of someone laughing is more contagious than a cough? Research has shown us that there are many benefits of laughing. Laughing triggers the chemistry of the will to live and it will increase your capacity to fight disease. Having a good laugh will relax your body and reduce issues associated with high blood pressure. It will also help with problems associated with arthritis, ulcers and strokes. There even has been research showing that it may also reduce the risk of heart disease.
It makes sense because emotions that are distressful, such as anger, depression, stress and anxiety, are related to heart disease. You can't be angry or anxious if you are having a really good laugh. The University Of Maryland Medical Center did a study that showed that having a good sense of humor during a stressful situation could help the damaging physical effects of distressing emotions. Here are a few things that having a good mirthful laugh will do for you: it will reduce your stress; boost your mood and your immune system. It will lower your blood pressure, improve your brain function, help you become relaxed and make you feel good and protect your heart.
People who laugh on a regular basis have lower blood pressure than the average person. When you laugh your blood pressure will initially go up then become lower than the normal level, your breathing will then be deeper and that sends oxygenated blood throughout our body. Laughing will decrease your stress hormone and will increase antibodies to fight infections.
Having a sense of humor may help protect you against a heart attack. Research shows that laughing may help prevent heart disease and also found that people that already had heart disease were about 40% less likely to laugh compared to other people about the same age that did not have heart disease.
Ever laugh so hard your stomach hurt? That's because we get a really good workout when we laugh. It will workout your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, respiratory, leg and back muscles. Laughing hard will tone your intestinal functioning and will make the muscles that hold the abdominal organs in place stronger. You can burn about the same amount of calories laughing than on an exercise bike.
Doctors have pointed out that having a sense of humor can teach perspective by helping people see the reality of the situations rather than distort it to support their distress. Humor can shift the way we think and distress can alter the way we think. It really isn't the situation that causes stress; it is the meaning we put behind the situation. Humor can adjust the meaning of the situation so that it is not so overwhelming.
Try these few ideas to help improve your mood and have a sense of humor on life. Try to laugh at events rather than be distressed by them. It will improve your disposition. Try laughing to help release any pent up anger or frustration by visualizing a humorous event to replace the anxiety-producing situation.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Humor
