Why Laughing Is More Beneficial Than You Think
Today we will be talking about a rather humorous topic which is the importance of laughter in our everyday and how it can positively impact both our physical and mental health as well as benefit our social relationships.
The act of laughing is also noticeable among other ape species, where laughter is said to have developed some 10 - 16 million years ago. Laughter is said to first emerge in the first few months of life even among children who are deaf or blind.
In terms of its evolutionary roots, scientists argue that laughter played a critical role in creating and deepening social bonds which we formed with others, which ultimately helped with our survival as a species which predominantly lived in groups. Some people also say that laughter developed as a form of vocal control with which we showed to others that we are content and feel safe, while fostering more trust in relationships. Over time as our brain size increased, so did our ability to form and communicate in various verbal languages, with which laughter also helped to facilitate and once again increased our survival chances.
While scientists are still discovering the history and benefits of laughter, there is enough evidence currently to confirm that laughing is healthy for us.
I hope that you enjoy this post and learn something new from it like I did.
THE CHEMISTRY BEHIND LAUGHTER
When we laugh, there are two main types of chemicals which are released by our brain; Endorphins and Dopamine
Endorphins chemically speaking are a type of peptide (protein) hormones which are produced by our central nervous system and the pituitary gland in our brain. They function both as a neurotransmitter and a feel good happy chemical which helps with the management of pain. Endorphins are mostly released during the process of physically activating our muscles, such as when we contract our core muscles while laughing and not merely just social conversations.
Dopamine is also produced by our brain during laughter and like endorphins, it also functions as a neurotransmitter and hormone which works in the central nervous system. Its main functions include facilitating movement, helping with our memory and creating a sense of pleasurable reward and motivation.
10 BENEFITS OF LAUGHING MORE
Helps Boost Our Immune System
Laughing more has been shown to over time improve the strength and abilities of our immune system in the following ways: First, laughter is known to genuinely help decrease levels of stress hormones predominantly cortisol circulating around our body which it does so by releasing specialized chemicals called neuropeptides which help to lower stress levels. Secondly, laughter is also responsible for stimulating our body to create more antibodies with which we are able to fight off viruses and infections more easily.
Decreases Perceived Pain And Tension
The endorphins which are released when we laugh have been shown to act as natural temporary pain killers which increase our tolerance and management of pain, helping us to endure for longer periods of time when faced with a painful situation.
Furthermore, laughings also helps with decreasing levels of physical tension and discomfort in our bodies, which is due to the relaxation of muscles when we laugh and the improved resulting blood circulation.
Increases Relaxation And Minimizes Stress
Based on several studies, laughing has been shown to decrease stress levels and generally increase relaxation throughout our body.
There are a few possible explanations behind this, one of which is that when we laugh, we intake more oxygen with which we stimulate more blood circulation and in turn decrease the levels of cortisol (stress hormone) in our blood.
Secondly, laughter can physically relax our muscles and boost our circulation which can leave our muscles feeling relaxed after laughing for as long as 45 minutes. Furthermore, a good laugh has been shown to decrease our heart rate and blood pressure after laughing which then leads to a relaxed feeling afterwards.
Helps To Prevent Heart Disease
More and more research is starting to indicate that laughter can do a lot of good for us, including lowering our chances of developing heart disease. This is because laughter has been found to improve the function of our blood vessels and simultaneously increase blood flow which stimulates our organs and muscles so that they remain healthy and functional.
Improves Our Mood And Energy
The previously discussed endorphins are known as happy chemicals which naturally put our body in a feel good state and create a sense of wellbeing that can at least temporarily, shift our mood and energy levels for the better.
Additionally, by decreasing stress levels along side secreting endorphins, laughter has been shown to help people who are dealing with depression or anxiety as they can also help in boosting self esteem and make it slightly easier to cope with such challenging situations.
Strengthens Social Relationships
Evolutionary speaking, laughter has been shown to act as a social glue in our history of living in groups, where it is suggested that shared laughter communicates to other individuals that we have something in common or that we share a similar view on something, which helps to strengthen our relation with that person.
Laughter is crucial for maintaining social and non verbal communication patterns, where some scientists argue that laughter not only improves social bonding but also protects us from physical and psychological pain by helping to create a sense of belonging among others.
Helps Attract New People To Us
When we laugh we are more likely to be perceived as approachable and friendly by others, especially because with laughter, we becomes less resentful, judgmental and doubtful. This in turn increases the amount of people we attract because we are seen as more open, with which we can form positive new social bonds, and in this way increase both our mental and emotional health.
Seeing Issues From A New Perspective
Laughter has this amazing ability which allows us to create more distance between us and our issues which means we can form a new perspective of our problems which essentially makes them easier to deal with. In this way, you can see problematic situations in a more realistic and less threatening way which helps to diffuse potential conflict and makes a issue more manageable.
Increased Personal Satisfaction And Happiness
Laughter can do a lot for our personal feelings of satisfaction and general happiness with our selves, because when we laugh, we are able to express our true feelings about a topic as well as release our inhibitions which hold us back from doing things we fear.
Create More Positive Memories
Often times, the times we were happy with others and laughed a lot are also the times we remember as our best and most memorable memories. Laughter can help us make more of those happy memories which when we look back on, make us smile and remember the good times.
I hope that with this article I have been able to instill a new sense of appreciation for a simple act such as laughing with someone, because as we have seen, laughter can bring us a lot of benefits, both physical, psychological and emotional.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this 💛
