Could Laughter Be the Best Medicine?

Of the many guidelines for living a healthy life, we’re commonly told it’s important to eat well, get exercise, and receive plenty of restful sleep. But one thing we’re rarely told is that frequent laughter is just as vital to living a healthy life. More than just a way to feel better instantly and connect with friends, laughter may actually help you to become healthier.

We tend to feel much better and elated after a good laugh, for many reasons. Laughter helps us to forget our worries, raises our mood, and contributes to creating good memories. There are also some noticeable health benefits. Laughter can help lower blood sugar, and can also help us to relax, increasing the quality of our sleep. Research also suggests it can increase immune system response, and may have a positive impact on circulation.

A healthy dose of laughter each day can help strengthen your internal organs, which can help you to deal with and bounce back from stressful situations. When laughing, your body takes in extra oxygen, which helps all your organs but especially the heart and lungs. And your muscles relax when laughing, helping to reduce stress.

Laughter is also a wonderful way to maintain a positive mindset and focus on enjoying life. Noticing all the funny things in life around us can leave us feeling better in an instant. Learning to laugh at ourselves as well is a great technique, as taking ourselves too seriously will inevitably increase the amount of stress we feel.