11 Ways Laughter Can Improve Your Health!

We have heard that laughter is the best medicine.  

And scientifically that’s true!  

Laughter literally eases anxiety, relieves stress, relaxes your heart muscles, decreases pain, boosts immunity, lowers stress, and can even help you live longer!

I recently met with someone and talked about anger and depression. Exciting, I know.  But it really was a great meeting!  

Anger and depression are common, too common, and it’s past time we talked openly about a healthy (free) fix instead of costly (to health and wallet) medications.

See, talking to this person who suffered from depression and was constantly angry turned into a life-changing hour.

It was wonderful to help this person realize that they, in fact, owned their anger.

Here’s what I mean.

No one made them angry.  
No one was responsible for their anger.
There was no moving forward until they owned that anger.

You can remove the word anger and insert depression or fear and it’s the same.

The key to understanding and starting the healing process is knowing that anyone who does not own their anger will have a hard time healing, moving forward, forgiving, laughing and being joyful.

Period.

Why?

Because anger is a choice.

I know that might sound harsh, but in complete honesty, no one can make you mad!

It is our choice to be mad (or not) when someone says something or does something that affects us.

If laughing is such great medicine, why don’t we simply do it?

It all starts with a decision.

We must first realize we are choosing to be angry. 
We are choosing to be sad. 
We are choosing to hold a grudge. 
We are choosing to live in fear rather than have faith.
We are choosing to be depressed.
We are choosing to let something affect us in a negative way.

The decision is simple to say but takes practice, discipline and desire to accomplish. We simply make a new choice! A better (for us) choice.

We choose to move forward. 
We choose to let words run off our backs instead of stab us in the back. 
We choose to see the pain another must be feeling to do or say what they did.
We choose to laugh.
We choose to smile.
We choose to honor ourselves and live our best life possible - free of stress and dis-ease.

We choose laughter over anger, for ourselves, for our health.

We don’t need to forgive people right away, even though that may be the best, healthiest and most progressive choice.

But at least we can choose to be happy.

And what is the best way to release anger and start being happy?

Laughter!

Even if you don’t laugh at anything specific. Just start laughing, for no reason at all, it will make you happier, on a cellular level!

TRY IT!

Just laugh out loud right now for no reason and see how you feel! See how others around you start to feel!

Laughter is contagious. Don’t believe me?

Spend 1 minute and 30 seconds on this video.

And notice that a brand you will know by site put this little video together. Now, it wouldn’t be a healthy choice to run out and purchase this brand (because it’s been shown this stuff can take rust off of metal!) but it’s important to see that “laughter sells.”

Big corporations know this and use it. It’s time you knew it and used laughter to YOUR benefit, too.

I dare you to tell me, you, yourself didn’t end up with a smile, if not a full belly laugh, before the end of this video.

Jill never lasts more than 20 seconds and she's seen it multiple times! 

See, laughter really is medicine for the soul, the heart, the adrenals, the nervous system, the digestive system and the circulatory system.

And it’s good for anyone around you.

Your laughter has the power to heal others, to help them find a moment of happiness in their day.

When you choose laughter, you make the world a better, healthier place. Literally.

I found an excellent article on laughter that I wanted to share with you. Here are some highlights and the link if you wish to read further.

11 Ways Laughter Can Improve Your Health

1. Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

2. Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

3. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

4. Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

5. Laughter burns calories. OK, so it’s no replacement for going to the gym, but one study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn about 40 calories—which could be enough to lose three or four pounds over the course of a year.

6. Laughter lightens anger’s heavy load. Nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment.

7. Laughter may even help you to live longer. A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humor outlived those who don't laugh as much. The difference was particularly notable for those battling cancer.

8. Laughter stops distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.

9. Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.

10. Laughter shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and diffuse conflict.

11. Laughter draws you closer to others, which can have a profound effect on all aspects of your mental and emotional health.

Enjoy the entire article here! And start releasing and healing today with a good laugh!

ENJOY THE BEST DAY EVER!

Karen