Laughter they say is, and will always be the best form of therapy. During and after a hectic day, it pays to have a good laugh as it is a good de-stressor. Apart it from being a mood booster, laughter has some health benefits as well. If you have the habit of laughing often, keep it up but if you’re not, it’s about time you started. Find out why it is so important to laugh.
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Stimulates your body and makes you feel better.
‘Always laugh when you can; it’s cheap medicine,’ –Lord Byron.
When you are feeling stressed or exhausted from school or work and feel a nasty headache threatening to cloud your head, you may have to take a break and get yourself something good to laugh at. It will leave you refreshed and energized to continue your work. Laughing boosts your oxygen intake and release endorphins, the ‘feel-good’ hormones that make you happy.
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Increases your immunity
‘Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects so please take it regularly.’
Negative stress causes chemical reactions in your body that decrease your immunity, thus increasing your chances of falling sick. A hearty laugh fuels your immune system with disease-fighting abilities that will help you stay healthy and energetic.
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Promotes heart health
‘Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors.’
Laughter reduces blood pressure and improves blood flow, which helps reduce the odds of suffering a stroke or heart attack.
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Increases connection with others
There’s nothing that bonds people together like sharing a good laugh together. It could be watching a funny movie together or listening to a stand-up comedy or whatever activity you see as fun. Meeting someone for the first time? Finding something to laugh about can help break the ice so you may be more comfortable around each other.
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Burns calories
‘A day without laughter is a day wasted,’-Charlie Chaplin.
Laughter may not measure up to the amount of calories shed when working out but it does help a little. Laughing raises your heart rate and caloric expenditure, resulting in about 10-40 calories burned over 15 minutes of laughter according to a study by the International Journal of Obesity.
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Boosts mood and confidence
‘Start your day with a healthy laughter,’-Earl Nightingale
Confident people have an interesting ability to laugh at themselves whenever they mess up as a coping mechanism so they can move on. Learning to laugh at yourself will help you develop an ability to improvise through any difficult decision you might make; thus minimizing stress, wasted time, and damage done.
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Can help you through difficult times
‘Life is better when you are laughing.’
Life has its more than fair share of bad times — break-ups, car accidents, family drama, relationship problems, you name it. They seem worse while we’re dealing with them in real-time than looking back at them. Keep the events of every day in perspective by asking yourself the question, “Will this matter a month from now?” If the source of stress isn’t something you’ll remember next week/month/year, lighten up. Search for the humor or irony in the situation and laugh it off. Life is too short to brood over bad moments.
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