"A day without laughter is a day wasted"
Charlie Chaplin
I watched a silly movie last week with my seven year old son. At one point he was rolling around the carpet, clutching his stomach, while tears of laughter rolled down his bright red face.
In contrast to this I went to the cinema last night to see a new comedy with my partner. I found one part really funny but noticed when I started laughing out loud I immediately toned it down. Looking around I could see I wasn’t the only one stifling my natural urge to exude a huge belly laugh. My fear of drawing attention to myself sadly outweighed my natural instinct to nosily share my happiness.
I am not sure when I lost the ability to unselfconsciously roar with laughter but now I am aware of it I am claiming that right back straight away. To be able to express pure joy without any inhibitions is not only our birthright but is also darned good for us. Here’s 10 reasons why: -
1) Laughter releases feel good endorphins into your system which can help to relieve pain.
2) Laughter contracts your abdominal muscles and gets your shoulders moving giving you a mini-workout.
3) Laughter increases blood flow and improves the function of blood vessels which can help protect the heart.
4) Laughter has a relaxant effect on the whole body for up to 45 minutes afterwards.
5) Laughter initially raises blood pressure but then reduces it leaving a lower blood pressure than normal.
6) Laughter can be contagious increasing happiness and intimacy thus enhancing relationships.
7) Laughter speeds up metabolism and heart rate which could help you lose weight.
8) Laughter expels more air than usual breathing which has a cleansing effect on the lungs.
9) Laughter reduces anxiety and helps relieve depression by reducing stress and releasing pent up tension.
10) Laughter increases the number of T cells (antibody producing) giving your immune system a boost.
Wow. Next time I won't be afraid to publicly acknowledge my amusement :-)
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