Did you know you can improve your wellbeing through laughter?
When was the last time you had a proper belly laugh? I recently went on a cruise on my own and met up with a group of like-minded ladies. During our time together, we laughed so much it hurt. I started to notice that people were commenting on how relaxed we looked and the more we laughed, the more other things were amusing us. It made me wonder about the impact of laughter on health and wellbeing.
My research found that there have been many studies researching the impact of laughter on health and the conclusion is that laughter may be the best medicine.
Five ways your wellbeing can be improved through laughter
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Pain relief
A real belly laugh releases endorphins and a study by University of Oxford has shown that this increases pain tolerance. Interestingly, this study monitored people watching comedy and it was noted that the effect was increased if comedy was experienced as a group.
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Are you living a happy life
Laughter lightens our mood and having a life full of laughter can make it easier to cope with challenging situations. It also keeps us in the present. When we are watching comedy or laughing with friends it is a two-way interaction that requires our attention. Listening to comedy keeps you present. Both listening for the punchline and watching a scene unfold into comedic disaster keep you in the moment, not living in the past or worrying about the future.
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Laughter is a stress reducer which boosts your immune system
Laughter pushes blood from your lungs and increases blood oxygen levels. Research has shown that laughing out loud boosts your immune system as well as it decreasing your stress hormones and therefore you can improve your wellbeing through laughter. Did you know that you can recreate this effect by creating a ‘fake laugh’, as smiling and trying to laugh starts the process.
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Want to get pregnant? Then have a laugh!
One 2011 study of women undergoing In Vitro Fertilisation showed that those who were entertained by a clown were 16% more likely to get pregnant than those who had not been in the clown group. So, relaxing and having a laugh increases your chances of getting pregnant!
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It’s good for your heart
Studies have shown that stiffness in your arteries can be reduced by laughter, as it decreases pulse wave velocity. This can have a positive impact on cardiovascular disease.
Three ways to get more laughter in your life
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Do you have a ‘fun file’?
One of my friends collects bad jokes and another one collects funny memes and funny YouTube videos. If you have a collection of funny things, you can use it as a ‘pick me up’ for yourself and for others. Create a fun file for when you need it. Even better – share your fun file with your friends or colleagues.
Here is an example of something from my file. I was in the queue for a gig at a music festival. In the background you could hear the musician practising. Then it all went quiet. Someone in the queue behind me said, “Now he is practising the interval!”
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Look for the humour in life
Life is full of irony and absurdity, so why not share it! Energy flows where attention goes, so if we are looking for fun, we are more likely to find it. When something challenging happens, try to find a funny angle that will make yourself and others laugh.
I was once on stage at a conference talking about stress reduction when the microphone died. It took a long time to get it sorted out. My solution? I tried to mime the presentation to keep everyone engaged and hopefully amused. The first slide went down well – a stressed woman. The next slide was somewhat harder… have you ever tried miming a table of facts?!
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Share funny stories with friends
Do you remember when…
Remembering good times also gives as a boost and sharing those memories adds to that process with the addition of connection and shared experience.
What stories can you remind your friends about?
If you like this blog you may like our blog “The Science of Gratitude and Increasing Your Happiness”
If you would like to find out about our Ikigai and Happiness workshop, as well as our range of wellbeing and leadership workshops, get in touch with nicky@discoveryourbounce.com to arrange a chat.
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