Without a doubt, laughter is the best medicine. Here are some of the ways in which laughter helps us health-wise:
Hormones: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.
Physical Release: Have you ever felt like you "have to laugh or I'll cry"? Have you experienced the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.
Internal Workout: A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart.
Social Benefits of Laughter: Laughter connects us with others. Also, laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you to laugh more, and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more!
(from About)
And speaking of contagious laughter, skypelaughterchain.com put together a montage of clips; people laughing in response to other people laughing. They did this, of course, to promote Skype, but also to show how social media works by bringing people together, and sharing in the one human thing we all love to do: laugh.
It's okay to laugh. It's GOOD to laugh. Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.
