Laughter can be therapeutic

There are days when you are in a hella-bad mood, and it’s ok. However, wouldn’t it be awesome if those days become less and less and you wake up every day with a more positive approach to life, to work, to people in general?

Well, the solution is simpler than you think and way more effective. The only thing you have to do is just laugh. Over the years, many research results have shown that laughter can be extremely therapeutic and has healing effects. Below, there are three fundamental theories regarding laughter and its impact on mood and stress management.

1. Laughter reduces stress and tension

According to the first theory, stress increases stimulation and tension, while laughter can reduce stress by soothing tension. According to this theory, if people laugh in a stressful situation, their degree of stimulation drops, and the stressful situation is no longer negative and/or hostile. This means that laughter indicates a complex mind-body interaction between cognitive and emotional functions based on the brain and nervous system. Freud also considered laughter a mechanism that can stop the other person's aggression and stated that laughter reduces negative emotional responses or unpleasant feelings.

2. Why do people laugh?

The second theory supports that people laugh when they realize there is a difference between an actual situation and their general understanding of it. The perspective of this theory emphasizes logical, linguistic, and cognitive dimensions. Laughter occurs at the moment when misunderstanding and awkwardness in communication are raised, when cognitive imbalance disappears, and balance is restored; laughter at that moment is the expression of a pleasant enlightenment. According to this theory, people can laugh when they encounter something different from their expectations and something incompatible with their expectations.

3. Laughter increases our self-confidence

The superiority theory suggests that laughter occurs when people look down on others or think they are superior. It suggests that laughter can be an expression of dominance or a way of asserting one's own status. By boosting satisfaction, laughter drives people to adequate action against stress and increases self-confidence.

The health benefits of laughter

Laughter has numerous positive effects on the muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, immune and central nervous systems.

• Laughter stimulates and relaxes the muscles
• Laughter improves breathing
• Laughter stimulates circulation
• Laughter reduces stress hormones
• Laughter improves immune function and the body's defenses
• Laughter improves mental function

Laughter changes the body's physiology as a control mechanism and by optimizing interpersonal relationships.

• Laughter reduces stress, anxiety, and tension and counteracts the symptoms of depression.
• Laughter increases mood, self-esteem, hope, energy, and vitality.
• Laughter enhances memory, creative thinking, and problem-solving.
• Laughter improves interpersonal interaction, relationships, attraction, and closeness.
• Laughter increases cordiality and helps build group identity and solidarity.
• Laughter improves the quality of life of patients.
• Laughter enhances cheerfulness and is contagious.

Laughter helps you manage stress

In modern societies, high-stress levels are caused by intense competition and socioeconomic stressors, which has a negative effect on self-esteem, impacting our quality of life and motivation, increasing depression, and leading to detrimental impacts on our mental health. Smiling and being in pleasant environments is a non-pharmacological method to reduce stress. Laughter creates positive feelings and seems to be a helpful and healthy way to overcome stress, an ideal antidote for stressful situations.

Laughter reduces cortisol levels, the stress hormone, and epinephrine by reversing the stress response. Since the 1970s, laughter has been considered a complementary and alternative therapy, so the use of laughter therapy has expanded. There are several laughter yoga schools around the world where people gather to practice laughter and laughing intentionally.

This fake laughter becomes effective in releasing happiness hormones

A positive attitude and laughter can help maintain dopaminergic action. In addition, endorphins secreted by laughter can help people suffering from low mood and depression. Also, laughter increases serotonin concentrations, a neurotransmitter that is the source of life and vitality. The role of serotonin is essential in the treatment of anxiety, stress, anti-social behavior, and mental illness. Serotonin is also activated by regular physical activity. So, laughter has a similar effect to physical exercise. Laughter also strengthens social relationships, attracts others to us, enhances teamwork, and promotes team bonding.

How to keep yourself in a constant laughter state

• Watch a funny movie or a show on TV.
• Read funny online pages and jokes.
• Socialize with pleasant people.
• Share a funny story with your loved ones.
• Play with a pet.
• Do something silly.
• Remember pleasant things that have happened to you.
• Instead of reading negative news, look for positive stories and funny videos.
• Don't waste a day without laughing.