The Greatest Panacea of All

Is it time to stop being so serious? In the words of Milton Berle, the late American comedian and actor, “Laughter is an instant vacation.” It’s true! What’s more it’s free and we can do it virtually whenever we want without even having to take time off work!

Laugher has been called “social glue” because it bonds us to the people we laugh with. Beyond this however, laughter has many more benefits that relate directly to our health. It is by far the cheapest and most pleasant way to alleviate stress, boost your immune system and improve the overall well-being of your heart and cardiovascular system.

Scientific studies have shown that laugher helps your immune system to fight invading viruses and cancers. Whereas suppressed anger or intense feelings of frustration disturb the natural healthy functioning of the immune system, laughter, joy and happiness have been found to boost it.

When it comes to stress, laughter lowers blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol and acts both physically and psychologically as a “safety value” for the discharge of pent-up nervous energy. Laughter releases a wave of chemicals throughout the body including endorphin hormone which is also released during healthy exercise. Endorphins are the body’s natural pain-relaxant – they stimulate feelings of well-being and joy.

After we have finished laughing our whole body begins to lighten up in an “afterglow” period in which we relax muscle tension and reduce stress in the nerves. Over seriousness blows up problems; laughter blows them away! It can inspire a new way of thinking, a fresh perception, a change in belief and the revelation of previously unimagined possibilities.

Laughter can lower your blood pressure and decrease heart strain – one study found that people who survived a heart attack cold cut the risk of a second heart attack by 20 percent just by enjoying 30 minutes of comedy a day. Another study showed that therapeutic humour can decrease the hospital stay by two days.

Laughter even gives you a good workout! The muscles, nerves and organs of the main torso can all be exercised during a really good laugh. Research has shown that all 600 muscles of the body can be used during a deep belly laugh and if you were able to sustain a belly-laugh for one full hour, you could laugh off as many as 500 calories!

Is it any wonder that laughter has often been described as the greatest panacea of all?