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Laughter is the Best Medicine - Coggle Diagram
Laughter is the Best Medicine
It reduces stress.
In today’s society stress seems to be everywhere, affecting almost everyone. While it’s true that adult life brings with it a number of responsibilities, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t unwind and have a good laugh from time to time. In fact that’s exactly why we need to! Laughing lowers the levels of cortisol in our bloodstream, commonly known as the stress hormone. Less cortisol = less stress.
It’s good for the heart.
When it comes to keeping our hearts healthy, apart from all the usual recommendations (diet, exercise, etc.) it’s also important to add a touch of humour to your life. Did you know that when we laugh our blood vessels dilate? As they open wider, blood flows much more easily through our veins transporting much need oxygen around the body, and our blood pressure lowers. This all means that our heart doesn’t have to work so hard.
We become less aggressive.
Very often the best way to help a tense situation is with a dash of humour. We’ve all experienced one of those deathly silent moments following an unpleasant or unwanted comment, and it’s during these moments that negative emotions such as anger and aggression can arise. A funny remark that manages to produce a laugh can calm the atmosphere and clear the air, preventing the situation from escalating.
It strengthens the immune system.
You may be surprised to learn that when we have a good giggle, we increase our antibodies, which help our body fight infection and disease. The more antibodies we have, the more likely we are to avoid colds and the less likely we are to get sick. Experts confirm that laughing improves our overall quality of life and helps to cure illness.
It makes us more sociable.
Laughter can also help us when it comes to our personal relationships – not only with people we already know and feel comfortable with, but with strangers and those we hardly know, too.
Difficult situations are made easier.
Laughing alleviates feelings such as fear and rage, meaning we can face painful or complicated moments with more optimism.
Happy hormones are released.
Dopamine improves our mood, adrenaline makes us more alert and receptive, and serotonin is a calming, pain-relieving endorphin.
We breathe better.
Do you realise that every time we breathe in and out we expand our lungs and stretch and relax our muscles?
It aids digestion.
Due to the large number of muscles in the abdominal area, laughter increases the production of gastric juices, which also helps the digestive process.
It’s a natural pain reliever.
Another effect of the endorphins we release when we laugh is to reduce the sensation of pain.
It combats insomnia.