Laughter and mental health

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Md Altaf Hussain :
Laughter is ‘the best medicine,’ and as it turns out, there is some scientific truth to this assertion. Humor-associated laughter has numerous health benefits, so here are some reasons you should laugh it up.
When you laugh, your lungs fill with air, facial muscles stretch, and abdominal muscles tighten, causing your pulse and blood pressure to rise, similar to how your body reacts when you exercise.
Just like exercise, laughter is good for your health. It improves blood flow, strengthens your immune system and lowers blood sugar levels. Laughing also provides us with many psychological benefits that help to improve our mental health.
Stress relief from laughter
A good sense of humor can’t cure all ailments, but data is mounting about the positive things laughter can do. A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can stimulate many organs.
Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain. Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.
Laughter develops better social skills
And last but not least, as we already mentioned, laughter is the physiological response to humor. Therefore, whenever you and another person both laugh at something funny, you create a bond because you have a similar sense of humor. Sharing laughter with others means creating and sharing positive social experiences. As a result, it improves our social skills!
Laughter not only provides us with good times, but it also creates tons of positive effects on both our minds and bodies. So stop worrying about getting wrinkles and start laughing more!
It’s healthy to laugh
It all starts with biology and physiology. Laughter activates some of the reward systems in our brains and releases feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine, all while suppressing stress-related chemicals, such as cortisol and adrenaline.
So in the moment, humour makes us feel lighter and a little less stressed, but its long-term benefits can be significant. By suppressing stress hormones, laughter can prevent and mitigate some of the conditions associated with chronic stress, such as pain, diabetes, heart disease and suppressed immune response.
Laughter is the best medicine
Go ahead and give it a try. Turn the corners of your mouth up into a smile and then give a laugh, even if it feels a little forced. Once you’ve had your chuckle, take stock of how you’re feeling. Are your muscles a little less tense? Do you feel more relaxed or buoyant? That’s the natural wonder of laughing at work.
Improve your sense of humor
Are you afraid you have an underdeveloped – or nonexistent – sense of humor? No problem. Humor can be learned. In fact, developing or refining your sense of humor may be easier than you think. Put humor on your horizon. Find a few simple items, such as photos, greeting cards or comic strips, that make you chuckle. Then hang them up at home or in your office.
Keep funny movies, books, magazines or comedy videos on hand for when you need an added humor boost. Look online at joke websites. Go to a comedy club. Share a laugh. Make it a habit to spend time with friends who make you laugh. And then return the favor by sharing funny stories or jokes with those around you.
Our brain works better when we laugh
Another neurotransmitter released when laughing is catecholamine, a hormone that takes part in crucial brain functions, such as movement, cognition, emotions, learning and memory. This substance, triggered by laughter, is in charge of our brain’s correct functioning.
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