Pain Sucks, Part 5 of 7: Laugh Out Loud
Laughter is an instant vacation.
Milton Berle, Actor, Comedian
I can’t imagine a day without laughter.
Growing research shows that daily laughter is healthy for you in many ways. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter is definitely the best medicine. Here are the health benefits of a good chuckle:
Laughter relieves pain. It stimulates your body to release brain chemicals called endorphins which bind to neuron receptors and reduce sensations of pain.
Laughter gives you a physical workout. It increases your oxygen intake, stimulates your heart, lungs and exercises your diaphragm and abdominal muscles.
Laughter reduces stress. It decreases stress hormones which can suppress immune activity, relaxes muscles and stimulates overall circulation in the body.
Laughter boosts your immune system. A positive state of mind stimulates the release of emotion-linked neurotransmitters which increase the number of antibody-producing cells to fight viruses and infections.
Laughter enhances your coping skills. A good sense of humour goes a long way in forming social bonds and dealing with life’s difficult moments.
Feeling humour challenged? There are plenty of ways to bring more laughter into your daily life; books, movies, games, comedy CDs, comedy clubs and simply hanging out with funny friends are fun options.
The average person laughs fifteen times a day. How many times have you laughed today? Go ahead, laugh out loud!
