Did you know that laughter actually has the ability to change your body’s chemistry and brain function? Yep, it touches body, mind, and spirit on its deepest level. Laughter helps relieve tension, stress, anxiety, and depression. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body.  Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. So seek out more opportunities for humor and laughter – you’ll improve your emotional health, strengthen your relationships, find greater happiness—and even add years to your life.

7 Health & Healing Benefits of Humor

1. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
2. A deep belly laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling for up to 45 minutes after.
3. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.
4. Anger & Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.
5. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
6. Laughter burns calories – not the same as going to the gym, but one study found that laughing for 10-15 minutes a day can burn approximately 40 calories! Repeated NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) activities add up over time.
7. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Humor can help us to not take ourselves too seriously. It can lighten the load in unusually stressful times. Humor lifts our spirit and radiates positivity. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and share your joy!