We all have experienced how much difficult it is to be in a stressful situation. We all have also experienced that when we try to calm ourselves by bursting into giggles or laughter, we immediately start bidding goodbye to stress. Laughter is the kind of treatment that no longer allows stress to remain. Thus, it is considered to be the best medicine for us in every way. It is the healthiest way to respond to life. It triggers the natural response of the body which helps an individual to relax irrespective of how stressful situations may be. Physical exercises boost the working ability of our organs and increase circulation. Laughter is as good as a massage offered to the internal organs of the body. It can be compared to an internal exercise. It also tones the muscles of the abdomen. Laughter is not only contagious but also has healing abilities.

Given below are top reasons that prove that laughter is the best medicine-

Laughter spreads easily

When someone smiles at us, we automatically smile at them. It is not just a day to day habit that we have inculcated in our daily lives. Studies have shown that mirror neurons are the ones that make us smile back. Now, we know why when one person laughs, he makes even others laugh and laughter spreads within no time. It is contagious. Thus, during difficult times when stress and tension dominate life, find someone near and dear who can make you laugh. When we see someone laughing, our brain stimulates its very own laughter response which is essential for overall well-being. Thus, everyone enjoys the company of an individual who has a good sense of humor. It is because our mind and body want that contagious laughter feeling all the time.

Decreases stress

As mentioned before, laughter can be compared to an internal massage of the organs. When we laugh, our muscles contract. As a result, blood circulation in our body improves. There is an increased flow of oxygen to the cells and tissues in our body and to all the organs. More amounts of blood carrying nutrients and oxygen stimulate the lungs and heart and also releases endorphins in the body. Endorphins help to get rid of stress and help the body and mind to relax and rejuvenate in stressful situations. Laughter helps a person to relax and bring a rejuvenating effect. Thus, it also helps him to sleep better.

Strengthens immune system

The immune system should be strong to fight against all sorts of infections and diseases so that an individual enjoys good health and well being. Laughter does the same. It strengthens immunity by increasing the levels of natural killer cells present in the blood. They are one of the types of WBC’s and they prevent the formation of cancer cells in the body. Immunity and stress are related to each other. Individuals who have high-stress levels will have weak immunity and vice versa. Laughter increases the production of antibodies in the body that fight against infections naturally as well as increases the level of the immune cells in the body.

Strengthens bond

Laughter keeps relationships and bonds fresh. Everything seems so exciting with shared laughter. People who laugh are resilient and thus bonds between such two people are vital in keeping a relationship alive. In any kind of relationships, two people do disagree and sometimes it leads to emotional hurting and resentments. Laughter is a good way to clear all sorts of misunderstandings and heal what is broken. Laughter brings people together and strengthens the bonds even under the worst circumstances. When we laugh, we make our bonds with others stronger by spreading positive vibrations around us. When there are positive vibrations, tensions and hurt do not stay for long. People who share laughter always remain relaxed and thus stress and tension do not trouble them a lot. They are spontaneous and do not give way for doubts in their minds. They do not engage in judging others or waste their precious time in criticism. They express what they feel and do not hold back anything which ultimately helps them to achieve success in life as well as every relationship of their flourishes. They use laughter to resolve conflict. They heal the tension that lingers over doubts and disagreements using laughter. 

Boosts resilience

There are two ways to see life. Some people fall apart and see failure as a dead end. Thereby they stop trying. Success seems like a dream to them. It all happens because they are not resilient. On the other hand, there are others who use failure as an opportunity to learn something new. There is nothing that can stop them from achieving success. They have this ability as they are resilient. Thus, it is important to increase resilience. It is because those who have this ability remain happy for most of the times and achieve success more than others. Setbacks or hurdles or failures should not stop a person from achieving success. He should be able to acknowledge the errors and mistakes he committed in the process. Anger or frustration is not going to help in any way. To develop resilience an individual should acknowledge his errors. If the whole process is carried out with laughter i.e., if we laugh at our mistakes instead of becoming frustrated, we will keep stress away and understand our mistakes in a more efficient way. We will recognize the fact that errors are common and it is okay to commit them.

Keeps depression at bay

Those who laugh and are happy will always keep depression away. Those who are suffering from depression can also take help of this medicine which will help them to successfully come out of its trap. Unhappiness is a mindset. Unless we help ourselves and step out of it rather than playing victim, we will not benefit. We know the circumstances that are prevailing or the situations that forced us in the phase of depression. We should try to deal with the situations bravely and try to search humor inside them. For that, we need to develop a whole new perspective of looking at things in a different way. Invite laughter in life and get rid of depression within no time. When an individual is in depression, he does not find it very easy to laugh at the things. Initially, he may have to do it forcefully. Forced laughter may not be natural but successfully releases dopamine and neuropeptides. These hormones help in the improvement of mood and help an individual to come out of depression.

Decreases pain

It is not true that individuals who laugh experience lesser pain than the others who don’t laugh. Fact is that individuals who use laughter as a medicine are not bothered too much by the pain. When the mind does not go around the feeling of pain, an individual does not feel much. Laughter does not cause any alterations in the levels of pain. Pain remains the same. The level with which an individual perceives pain decreases. On the other hand, his ability to overcome it by successfully dealing with it increases. In this way, laughter does not heal the pain but helps an individual to get his mind off the discomfort and thus he does not experience much pain.

Helps in weight loss

Laughter can help a person slim down. Good laughter of 10 minutes can burn as good as 40-45 calories. Thus, those who indulge in it throughout the day slim down easily when compared with those who are too conscious to enjoy a good laugh. Though it does not burn many calories still, it keeps a person healthy and when a person is healthy any excess weight will automatically be taken care of.

Increases blood circulation

When we laugh, our blood vessels undergo normal expansion and contraction process. Thus, the blood flow improves and easily reaches all the vital organs of our body. When the blood flows with all the nutrients and sufficient amount of oxygen to the vital organs, their working efficiency improves. It boosts the health of an individual.

Protects heart

A burst of good laughter helps increase the blood circulation and thus all the vital organs including heart receive good blood flow. Thus, the heart’s working efficiency improves. It reduces the risk of heart attack and heart-related diseases.

Controls blood sugar levels

Studies have proved that diabetic individuals who often use laughter therapy in some form or the other have decreased levels of blood sugar level than those who do not laugh. Laughter therapy is a natural way of curing diabetes.

Conclusion

Who doesn’t wish to enjoy a good laugh? It not only helps to get rid of stress and tension by taking the mind off from the troubles but also helps to achieve good physical health. It is a strong drug that promotes overall well being. It decreases the pain, strengthens immunity, improves mood and makes bonds between the people stronger. Kids laugh a lot but as the age progresses, laughter becomes less frequent as we shift our focus on other things. Laughter is the best treatment that helps an individual to achieve good physical and mental health. Through laughter an individual achieves overall health, he lives longer and finds happiness in every little thing.