If you’re like me, then you probably laugh about 15 to 20 times a day. If you’re not like me, you’re probably thinking, “Wow, this person is crazy.” Well, how else are you supposed to get through the mundane routines of everyday life?
Laughter can have many benefits — not only is it good for mental and physical health, but it also can determine your risk for psychosis later on in life. If you still think laughing everyday isn’t a big deal, here are four benefits that could drastically improve your life.
Physical benefits
Laughter boosts your immune system, slashes your stress and makes pain more bearable. This can be especially helpful if you’re in a demanding career or in school. Your immune system will be down in the dumps due to stress which will bring you more pain. When you laugh, your body will work to eradicate stress hormones and build immune cells and antibodies instead.
Laughter can also burn calories and prevent heart disease. 15 minutes of laughter could potentially translate to 40 calories. That’s about four pounds a year!
Mental benefits
Obviously, laughter can relieve stress, anxiety and tension, but it can lighten these dark emotions when you feel them too. The endorphins released can help you raise your quality of life and lighten your mood.
When these toxic feelings are relieved, your entire life is lighter. When you feel anger or sadness, you become better at getting over it. Laughter shifts your entire perspective in everyday life.
Social benefits
Laughter can also make your relationships stronger by giving you more attractive qualities and better teamwork skills. You become better at handling conflicts with friends and family, thus strengthening old and new bonds.
Long-term benefits
Many of these benefits are short term and fleeting, but most of them carry over many years. If you keep working at them, you will reap the long term effects that will allow you to live longer and happier.
By improving your immune system in the short term, you’ll be giving yourself long term defense against new illnesses in the future. The same process works with pain — once you develop more natural painkillers, it’ll become easier to feel better after painful situations.
So, the next time you see your friends laughing together, join in! Taking a part in humor will increase yours and help you become healthier. Even a forced smile will trick your brain into thinking you’re happy — until you get the hang of laughing more.
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