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| Laughter: Source- Photo Pin |
Laughter is good for the heart. Yet, laughter is one serious topic many people take lightly even when we have learned of its tremendous health benefits.
You'll agree with me that in the present world that we live, you won't find much of anything that' can keep you constantly happy. Not in the news, at the office, on the street, in your own environment or even within yourself. Taking yourself too seriously in this period wouldn't do you anyone close to you any good.
It was Bill Cosby, who said that, "Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it." And Mark Twain adds that, "Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand."
Laughing (to laugh) is an involuntary reaction to certain stimuli; internal or otherwise. It can arise from activities like being tickled, or from humorous stories or thoughts. It is commonly considered a visual expression of a number of positive emotional states, such as joy, mirth, happiness, relief, etc.
According to Dr. Dwenda Gjerdingen, "A good laugh is a wonderful thing. It refreshes, relieves stress, generates positive emotions, promotes communication, strengthens group identity and cohesion, and benefits both the giver and receiver. In addition to these significant benefits, there is also evidence that laughter and humor promote good health.
There is evidence that individuals with chronic or terminal illnesses ... use humor to promote healing, and that humor does have health benefits, such as improved pain tolerance and improved immune response.
Humor is defined as a stimulus that helps people laugh and feel happy, while laughter is a response to humor that involves positive physiological and psychological reactions. During laughter, various muscle groups are activated, but the period after the laugh is characterized by general muscle relaxation, which can last up to 45 minutes.
Possible medicinal benefits of humor were brought to our attention by Norman Cousins'. He relates how laughter and vitamin C were keys to his recovery from ankylosing spondylitis. Only 10 minutes of laughter, brought on by viewing comedy films, resulted in 2 hours of pain-free sleep.
Humor does have health benefits, such as improved pain tolerance and improved immune response. One small study of cancer patients in the rural Midwest found that over 87 percent were using at least one complementary intervention to cope with the stress of cancer, with the second most popular being humor. In another cancer study, participants identified humor as an important factor for coping with cancer and cancer treatment.
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