National Humor Month:
Laughing Matters
Are you stressed out? Unable to relax? Feeling gloomy? Well, you might
consider going for a long and exhausting jog, or engaging in a frantic
game of paddle ball to work out those frustrations. Or, if you want more
immediate results, you can just laugh it off!
cortisol. Laughter can significantly reduce cortisol levels.
April is National Humor Month, so this is the perfect time to add a little
humor into your daily routine. Founded in 1976 by author and humorist
Larry Wilde, the original idea was to heighten public awareness of the
therapeutic and restorative values of joy and laughter. After all, many
studies have shown that laughter can actually improve our health. And
laughter is fun! After all, you can’t feel sad or angry when you’re laughing,
right?
Laughter Strengthens the Immune System: A hearty laugh decreases stress
hormones and increases production of T-cells, immune proteins and
infection-fighting antibodies.
The fact is that laughter itself changes us physiologically. Like exercise or
waving your arms around, it boosts the heart rate and increases blood
flow, so we breathe faster and more oxygen is delivered to the body’s tissues. Our facial muscles stretch and we actually burn calories when we’re
laughing. In fact, the mere act of smiling can alter your mood almost
immediately.
Of course, there are always skeptics out there, like that cranky co-worker
across the way or that grumpy relative you try to avoid at the holidays. But
here are a few fun facts that you might want to mention to them:
Laughter Reduces Stress: When stressed, we produce a hormone called
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Laughter Can Reduce Pain: Laughter causes us to produce endorphins,
which are natural, pain-killing hormones.
Laughter Helps the Heart: When we laugh we increase blood flow and
the function of blood vessels, which can help prevent cardiovascul \