Take a Dose of Laughter
January 31st, 2007Did you know how many potential health benefits you can get from having a good old belly laugh? Taking a dose of laughter is about the safest and most economical form of medicine you could ever have. Laughing gives your entire system a quick, easy and healthy shake up, you can do it anywhere and at any time of the day to give yourself and the people around you a little boost that may last for hours. Choosing to laugh instead of worry in the face of adversity can have far reaching effects, changing a problem into a challenge and allowing you to gain a whole new perspective on any situation.
Tests on the body have shown that laughing has the effect of reducing stress hormones like adrenaline and dopamine which lead to less stress within the body and mind. When a person laughs, their heart not only gets a mild workout, they take more oxygen into the bloodstream increasing energy which in turn amplifies the body’s ability to produce antibodies. These antibodies or cells lead to a more resilient immune system. With a healthy immune system you are less likely to suffer from a number of common health problems.
Laughing diminishes the physical effects of stress and can reduce tension in the neck and shoulder muscles as well as other muscles within the body. Laughter is a great way to ease anxiety and calm you down after a panic attack. Sometimes you laugh so hard you cry which causes your body to flush itself from the inside out as well as giving the abdominals a good workout. Laughing causes your brain to release endorphins which are the hormones that elevate your mood, these endorphins often allow you to feel good for hours after their initial release.
When you laugh you are more likely to forget about the stressful things that have been causing you grief. Laughing has a calming effect allowing you instant relief from negative emotions that cause you to feel anger and frustration. It is a great way to boost you from sadness to happiness in no time at all. What may have seemed like an insurmountable problem might not be so bad after all if you can laugh at it. You may well find that when you laugh at a problem it can put you in a totally different frame of mind and allow you to look at it from a new, less intimidated perspective.
Laughing makes you smile and has the positive effect of attracting people. It instills in you a new attitude and makes the people around you more at ease. Instead of worrying about your problems and complaining, a dose of laughter might be just the ticket you need to break this unproductive routine. By getting into the habit of laughing you might find that some of those problems might simply disappear.
The motivation to write this article came to me while I was in an all staff, end of month meeting at the sports club I work at in Bangkok today. I work at a club with over 100 Thai staff, there are only 2 foreigners who work at this club and I am one of those 2. The other person and I are the only ones who don’t speak the Thai language and the meeting was mostly taking place speaking in Thai. At one point a staff member had won a prize and was giving his acceptance speech. He was talking in Thai and although I know enough Thai language to get me by living in Thailand, I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. All of a sudden the entire group of staff began laughing hysterically at something he said, I hadn’t the faintest idea what was so funny but within seconds I was nearly in tears laughing as hard as they were and I don’t even know what I was laughing at. I managed to look over at the other foreign employee and he was also laughing uncontrollably. So laughing is incredibly contagious and much healthier than catching a cold. The meeting ended soon after the laughing episode and when I walked out of the room I was still in such a good mood after having a good laugh that I forgot to even ask someone to translate for me in English what he had said.
Although I wouldn’t advise laughing at someone else’s expense I think it’s worthwhile to find almost anything that makes you laugh and laugh away to your hearts content. If it is laughing at a funny movie, watching a comedian or simply hanging out with good friends who make you laugh, try and make it a habit to get into. Laugh more, worry less and remember laughing is fun.
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