"Laughter is the best medicine" - we've heard this saying a thousand times, but it's actually very true!
Smiling and Laughing are our body's reactions to positive emotions - it leaves us feeling happy and content.
But laughter can actually have a lot of other, indirect effects on our health that you might not be aware of!
Apart from the obvious positive effects on our mood, feelings and social interactions, laughter also has effects on our bodies, brains, hearts, stress levels, immune system and sleep.
Reduces Stress
Laughing reduces the levels of stress hormones like cortisol, and therefore help us ease tension and stress.
Also, the effects on our body help reduce the physical symptoms of stress, like tense muscles as well.
Effects on the body
Laughing can actually be a full-body workout - I guess we've all experienced laughing so hard that our stomach muscles start to hurt!
Laughing stimulates our body's blood circulation, boosts the oxygen intake, replenishes the lungs and eases tension in our muscles.
It also reduces pain naturally due to the release of endorphins to the brain - it has been shown that 15 minutes of laughter increased the pain tolerance by about 10%!
Effects on the heart
People who laugh often have a lower blood pressure and a better blood flow than others.
Regular laughter protects the heart and reduces the risk for heart diseases.
15 minutes of laughter a day are as important as a 30min. workout 3x weekly!
Effects on the brain
When laughing, serotonin and endorphins are being released in our brain.
This results in a happy, content feeling of overall well-being.
Effects on the Immune System
It has been proven that regular laughter can actually benefit our Immune System.
It increases the number of T-cells and antibodies in our blood, as well as reduce the level of stress hormones.
Effects on Sleep
Studies have shown that regular laughter can actually have an effect on our sleeping patterns and habits, it reduces insomnia and improves the quality of sleep through relaxing the mind and body.
Fake Laughter?
You don't even actually need to smile or laugh in order to make yourself feel better.
Just forming a smile with your mouth or laughing on command can already have similar effects to real laughter! That's because your brain doesn't distinguish much between an actual and a forced laugh.
It just registers the movements of your mouth and body and reacts accordingly!
Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
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