There's more to a good laugh than meets the eye. Themedguru dwells into the potential benefits that a hearty laugh can have on your mind, body and soul.
Characteristics of a Happy Person
• A happier person has a positive outlook towards life
• He lives each day without worrying about the future
• He appreciates and enjoys the blessings in his life
• He is able to enjoy his life to the fullest
• He forgets past happenings and forgives the wrong-doers
• Lives a longer life
According to a study conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center, a good sense of humor and one’s ability to laugh at stressful situations help lessen the detrimental effects of an otherwise stressful situation.
"I believe that if people can get more laughter in their lives, they are a lot better off," says Steve Wilson, MA, CSP, a psychologist and laugh therapist. "They might be healthier too."
Although the intelligentsia of even the most primal civilizations have known the benefits of laughter, it is only recently that scientific evidence proving the connection between laughter and good health has surfaced.
Here is what you can achieve by smiling away all your problems, including the constipated boss in office:
Laughter and Physique
A lot is happening to your body when you laugh. Laughter is accompanied by stretching of your facial as well as other body muscles. This is followed by a shooting up of your pulse rate and blood pressure also. And lastly, laughing makes you breathe faster, thus requiring your heart to pump in more oxygen.
People who have been experiencing the benefits of laughter opine that its advantages are similar to that of a mild workout, since it also assists the body in burning calories. One pioneer in laughter research, William Fry, claims that after just one minute of hearty laughter his heart rate attains the same level that it would after ten minutes of exercise on a rowing machine.
According to a research conducted by Maciej Buchowski, a researcher from Vanderbilt University, 10 to 15 minutes of laughter can burn around 50 calories. But the bad news is, at this rate, it would require 12 hours of dedicated laughing to lose a pound.
Laughter and Blood Pressure
It has been found that people who laugh more often and laugh heartily have lower blood pressure than those who prefer remaining serious.
It has also been observed by doctors and scientists that when people laugh, initially the blood pressure tends to increase, but thereafter it drops. Subsequently, breathing becomes deeper and causes more oxygen-enriched blood and nutrients to flow into the body.
Laugh for a Healthy Heart and Reduced Levels of Stress
Laughter, coupled with a good sense of humor, also assists in protecting your heart against heart related diseases. According to the study at the University of Maryland Medical, people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a range of situations as against those without heart disease.
Another study conducted by Public health scientists at UCL has found that happiness not only safeguards your heart but also lowers levels of stress-inducing chemicals produced by your body. According to the findings of this research, the harmful, stress related chemicals like cortisol are present in lower quantities in people who have more moments of happiness. They are hence more likely to lead a healthy and longer life.
Laughter and Immunity
A good laugh can indeed do a whole lot of good to your body, including strengthening your immune system
.
According to a study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, fifty-two healthy men were made to watch an hour-long comedy video. Their immunity markers like T cell counts were measured before, during, and after subjecting them to the video.
Surprisingly enough, it was found that just one hour of laughter could boost their immune function for up to 12 hours.
Work and Play
In this robotic world, who has the time to play, leave alone deriving happiness from it? But, recognizing the importance of playfulness in everyday life, some corporate bigwigs have now started incorporating various means of providing a playful environment to their employees, as a result of which they are now finding ideas flowing effortlessly.
A recent book by the Harvard Business School, called ‘Got Game’, claims that it is the computer gamers who will redefine the face of future business. The book maintains that these games lay a foundation for risk taking skills that are mandatory for the success of any business.
Games also train people to cope with failure and learn lessons in managing multiple jobs and affairs with ease. Gamers often look at failure as a learning opportunity and are thus able to identify humor in the worst situations in life as well.
Laugh More Often for a Blissful You
Having fun can be seriously important. It has been found that fun that is derived by means of play can help you increase your life-span, and think sharper.
To know about 5 ways of happiness, click here
With so much said and done on the importance of humor or laughter in our lives, many of us have begun to appreciate the benefits that humor has to offer. The million dollar question however is - are we really doing anything concrete to bring in more laughter in our otherwise dull lives?
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