Laughter can be infectious. When you hear the sound of laughter, you can’t help but laugh yourself. When laughter is shared among others, it causes a binding between people and increases both intimacy and happiness. The benefits of laughter make it one of the best ‘medicines’.

“A day without lauhter is a day wasted.”
– Charlie Chaplin

It is well known that laughter triggers healthy bodily changes and healthy changes in the mind. Laughter can increase your energy level, lessen pain, strengthen the immune system, and protect you from stress. Laughter is the best medicine because it is free, fun, and easy.

Laughter can be a strong antidote to conflict, pain, and stress.

There is nothing else that works more dependably or quicker to bring your body and mind into balance than laughter. The use of humor can lighten your burdens, connect you to others, inspire your hope, and keep you focused, alert, and grounded. With this ability to renew your health and heal you, laughter can be a great resource for whatever problems you may have. It can also strengthen your relationships, and can support your emotional and physical health and wellbeing. (And it can make the intense family holidays alot more fun.)

THE SECRET BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER: HOW LAUGHTER CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

4 Ways Laughter Is Good For Your Health

Laughter can increase your immune system. It can decrease the level of stress hormones within the body and increase the number of immune cells and antibodies you have, which will help you become more resistant to disease.
Laughter is relaxing. A wonderful laugh can relieve you of stress and physical tension so that your muscles can be relaxed for up to 45 minutes following laughing.
Laughter releases endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s feel-good hormones. When your endogenous endorphins are released, you feel a sense of well-being and a reduction in the sensation of pain.
Laughter can help the heart. Laughter can increase the ability of the blood vessels to nourish all parts of the body. It can increase your blood flow, which in turn can help prevent heart attacks and other types of heart diseases.

14 Overall Benefits Of Laughter

Laughter is known to have many health benefits, including physical, emotional, and social benefits. Some of these include the following:

Decreases your stress levels
Increases your immunity
Relaxes your muscles
Protects your heart
Lessens pain
Lessens fear and anxiety
Relieves stress
Adds joy to your life
Enhances your mood
Improves your resilience
Attracts other people to us
Promotes the bonding among group members
Improves teamwork
Strengthens relationships

Laughter Makes You Feel good.

This good feeling persists even when you are done laughing. Laughter helps you maintain an optimistic, positive outlook so you can better get through situations of loss, disappointments, and other difficult situations.

Laughter is more than just a protection against pain and sadness. It gives you the strength and courage to find other sources of hope and meaning. Even when you find yourself in the most difficult of times, laughter or even a smile can take you far when it comes to feeling better. Laugher really is a bit contagious. When you hear someone else laugh, it primes your brain and sets you up to join that person in laughing, too.

Laughter Improves Your Mental Health

Many benefits of laughter are associated with better mental health. Some things laughter can do to improve your mental health include the following:

Laughter allows you to relax. A good laugh can lessen stress and increase your energy levels so that you can remain focused and get more things accomplished.
Laughter can lessen distress. It is hard to feel sad, anxious, or angry when you are instead laughing.
Laughter shifts your perspective. It allows you to see things in a less threatening and more realistic light. Being humorous helps create a psychological distance between you and stressful events so that you don’t feel so overwhelmed.

Laughter Has Social Benefits

When you use humor and engage in playful communication with others, your relationships become stronger and you trigger positive emotions and an emotional connection with those you are laughing with. A positive bond develops—one that can act as a powerful buffer against disappointment, disagreements, and stress. When you laugh with others, this is a more powerful thing than when you laugh alone.

12 Ways To Create More Opportunities To Laugh

There are things you can do to increase your chances of laughing. Here are some you might try:

Attend a comedy club
Watch something funny on television
Watch videos of funny animals there are tons on YouTube, or just add the search term “funny” into the YouTube search bar (see one of my fav’s below)
Read the comics in the newspaper
Be with people who are funny
Share a funny story or joke with another
Read a funny book
Sponsor a game night with your friends
Play with your pet
Play with children
Do something you think is silly
Engage in activities you consider fun