A bout of laughter for just 10 minutes can reduce our stress hormone production, release endorphins and immediately help us feel relaxed.
If someone plays an April Fools’ joke on you today and it makes you laugh, thank them. Turns out they did you a favor. That’s because laughter is scientifically proven to benefit mental health.Leading benefits of laughter include stress reduction, strengthened social connections and the release of your body’s “feel good” chemical, endorphins. As a result, one of the many benefits of laughter and humor is the power to combat anxiety and depression, according to researchers. Therefore, laughter is good medicine for teen mental health.
Short Term Benefits Of Laughter
Laughter has both short and long term benefits. When we laugh, it can automatically lighten our mood, gets rid of stress and also induce certain physical changes in our body. Here are some short term benefits:
Laughter Activates And Relieves Our Stress Response: When we laugh very hard, it activates and then relieves our stress response. This is how it has an immediate effect on making us feel lighter. Moreover, it increases and decreases our blood pressure and heart rate. The end result of it is a calm and relaxed feeling.
Laughter Can Stimulate Organs: When we laugh, we breathe in more oxygen-rich air. The more we laugh, the more oxygen we will inhale. This means that our organs will receive more oxygen as well leading to the better functioning of the heart, lungs and muscles. Laughter also makes our brain release more endorphins or happy hormones.
Laughter Can Soothe Tension: One other immediate affect laughter has is to immediately get rid of tension and stress from the muscles. Laughter helps increase blood circulation and this stimulates the muscles and helps it relax. So, it also impacts on getting rid of the physical symptoms of tension along with emotional.
Laughter Is Therapeutic! Here Are Some Long Term Impacts On Mental Health
How does laughter impact mental health?
Can Decrease Anger: Anger is a complicated emotion and it can show as as a result of multiple factors. But, laughter can help diffuse it very fast. Bringing up humor and laughter during a tense situation can make it easier for people to adjust with disagreements or fights.
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Can Bring Happiness And Joy: A bout of laughter for even 5-10 minutes can help us feel happier and joyous. This feeling also lasts for a long time.
Can Help A Distressed Person: Laughter can help counter difficult feelings such as anxiety, grief, sadness or depression.
Laughter Helps Release More Endorphins: Natural chemicals in the body, endorphins promote a sense of well-being and relieve stress.
Can Change Perspectives: If we laugh more, we might start to look at things in a different perspective. In addition to that, we may feel less scared to face difficult things with the help of a little humour.
Can Reduce Stress: When we laugh or smile, our body stops releasing the stress hormone cortisol. The lower the levels of cortisol, the better our mental health will be.
Can Help People Relax: Since laughter can help us relax, we will also feel more energetic and productive for the rest of the day. Staying happy and relaxed helps people think and work better.
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