Can Laughing Heal All Your Health Problems?

With the current fast-paced lifestyle that we live, coupled with rigid personal and professional goals, openly laughing out loud seems like a habit of the past. While we may have little to no reason to indulge in carefree laughter, we can always find ways to keep ourselves amused and happy. 

Laughing plays a major role in positively impacting our health in more ways than we can imagine. It soothes restlessness, calms down anxiety, and promotes relaxation in our muscles and nerves. One feels a surge of freshness upon letting their hair down and laughing without worry once in a while. 

A good laugh is just what you need to distract your mind from negative thoughts, stress, and guilt, and give your body an emotional release that it so craves. It allows your mind to open up and think in new ways to tackle the subjects of your worry and concern. 

In other words, laughing gives you a distraction from your stressful life and fills you with rejuvenated energy to address your issues with renewed will and vigor. 

How does laughter heal health problems?

• Addresses stress:

Laughter is the best remedy for both mental and physical stress. Physical stress causes tension build-up in the muscles and joints of the body. It stresses your internal systems thereby taking a toll on the vital functions of the body. 

Not only that, it suppresses the production of the stress hormone cortisol which, in turn, lowers the stress levels in one’s body. Laughing openly releases this tension and stress by relaxing your muscles and paving the way for a calmer and more composed mind. 

• Improves heart health:

A stressed and tensed heart is more prone to strokes and disorders than a heart that is at ease. Laughing openly at least once a day secretes happy hormones in the system that benefit one’s overall health in many different ways. 

Laughter therapy is one of the best stress management techniques that enable one to gain a firm hold on life without crushing under the daily pressures of life. It increases appetite, boosts metabolism, regulates gut health, and promotes a stronger immune system too.

• Boosts cognitive function:

Research has shown that people who laugh more often have a better cognitive function and mental abilities than the ones who don’t. Laughter also improves brainpower, increases memory retention abilities, and boosts concentration prowess in due course of time.  

• Pain-relieving properties:

Indulging in laughter therapy releases endorphins in your system. These endorphins contain pain-relieving properties which soothe any pain or inflammation in the body. This is only possible with constant therapeutic changes in one’s daily life. 

• Releases happy hormones:

Laughter releases a surge of happy hormones like serotonin and dopamine in your system. These hormones relax our muscles and impart a positive, refreshing vibe to the individual. They promote strong immunity and better gut health coupled with a robust digestive system in the long run.

• Good internal workout:

Laughing loudly and openly exerts your abdominal and gut muscles. This explains why we often get stomach cramps when we laugh too hard. A good laughter session works out the diaphragm, shoulders, and stomach muscles leaving them more relaxed afterward.

More benefits of laughter therapy:

• It gives a new, fresh perspective to mundane, stressful happenings in life.
• Humour eases down our life and makes our challenges seem like stepping stones to success.
• Laughter is contagious. It helps people bond with each other over a healthy laughter session. 

It can get difficult to laugh deliberately especially if you’re viewing this practice as therapy. The trick is to fake it till you make it. Start by forcing yourself to laugh even in unfunny situations. 

Watch funny videos or movies. Observe children play and soak in their antics. Share some light-hearted jokes with friends and family. You can also join laughter therapy groups in your local parks. 

Laughing along with people by your side can improve your health by several notches in due course of time. It gives you a reason to bond with the people around you, make new friends, improve your social skills, and gain a new perspective on life and society. 

Can laughter heal all your health problems?

No, of course not. Our bodies work in a complex fashion. All our cells, tissues, and organs are placed extremely carefully and are destined to carry out their respective functions. Sometimes, a malfunction in one of these arrangements results in disorders that take a toll on the physical and mental health of the individual. 

These disorders cannot be addressed by laughter alone. Sure, laughter works like therapy. It releases endorphins and happy hormones in your system which catalyze your recovery process in the long run. However, simply laughing cannot cure you of all your illnesses. 

You must always consult a health professional to help deal with your health disorders and prescribe you apt medications and treatment. Laughing has serious positive implications on both the body and mind of the individual. It is a good lifestyle habit to cultivate since it keeps stress and anxiety at bay. But laughter cannot function as an independent replacement for medical treatment. 

Summing it up:

Laughter is one of the most therapeutic lifestyle habits you can ever inculcate within yourself. Especially in this hectic life where everyone is stressed, anxious, or worried, laughter and humor play a major role in calming down the senses and relaxing our nerves. It imparts renewed joy and hope that is often hard to describe by people who experience this effect. 

Therefore, one must make it a point to consciously include laughter in their daily routine. The best way is to consume humorous content like videos and books so that you can tickle your funny bone. 

Joining laughter groups, watching funny movies, or sitting together as a family sharing light-hearted jokes amongst each other are a few ways by which you can ensure a few minutes of genuine laughter each day.