Have you laughed today?
Well, you definitely should.
After all, today, April 14, is International Moment of Laughter Day. This holiday, which I admittedly had no idea about until recently, originated in 1997 when humor consultant and psychologist Izzy Gesell invited the whole world to join in this day and do some fun activities to encourage everyone to laugh.
“Laughter comes right after breathing as just about the healthiest thing you can do,” Gesell says. “It relieves stress, instills optimism, raises self-confidence, defuses resistance to change, and enhances all your relationships.”
Gesell’s point of laughter benefiting health was proven when cardiologist Dr. Michael Miller and his colleagues at the University of Maryland conducted a research study in 2005, which found that people who watched comedy movies had increased blood flow and those who watched sad movies suffered from restricted blood flow.
Considering good blood flow helps stabilize body temperature and transports nutrients and waste products to and from cells, it’s clear comedy and laughing have benefits to our health.
There are so many benefits to laughter.
First, it improves mental health. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, which are the body's natural mood-enhancing chemicals. Endorphins help relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve well-being.
It can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by boosting mood, promoting relaxation, and reducing the production of stress hormones like cortisol. It is a natural stress reliever, and laughing can provide a temporary escape from the challenges of life.
Laughter is contagious, and it can strengthen social bonds. It helps in building and maintaining relationships by fostering a sense of connection, camaraderie, and bonding with others. Laughter promotes positive social interactions and can improve communication, trust, and empathy among people.
Laughter has various physical health benefits, which, as a person who is passionate about helping myself and others find happiness in good health definitely piques my interest. Laughter can boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, increase blood flow and improve cardiovascular health.
Laughter also stimulates the production of feel-good hormones, such as dopamine, which can provide a sense of overall well-being.
Laughter enhances cognitive function, including increased creativity, problem-solving skills, and improved memory. It can also improve mental clarity and focus, leading to increased productivity and performance.
Finally, it’s a free, easy way of promoting a positive outlook on life and can improve overall well-being. It can help you feel happier, and more optimistic and increase your overall quality of life.
With so much anxiety and unease in life, it’s great to take time to laugh, and there are so many ways to do it.
Though humor is subjective and varies from person to person, there are some common elements or situations that may elicit laughter.
Jokes are one of the most traditional and popular forms of humor. They can be puns, one-liners, or longer stories, and can be about a wide range of topics, such as animals, relationships, and everyday life.
Physical comedy is something that makes people laugh, which involves exaggerated movements, slapstick humor, and funny gestures or facial expressions. This type of humor often relies on visual or situational humor and can include actions like trips, falls, or mishaps.
Wordplay involves clever or unexpected use of words, such as puns, witty remarks, or playful language. It can be a play on words, double entendres, or clever word arrangements that create humor.
Embarrassing or awkward situations, even when happening to others, can often elicit laughter as a way of diffusing tension or discomfort.
Humor can also come from unexpected or surprising twists in stories, punchlines or situations. Sudden changes or reversals of expectations can create a humorous surprise that catches people off guard and makes them laugh.
Engaging in acts of kindness and spreading joy is a good way to generate laughter and form positive relationships.
It's important to remember humor is subjective, and not all jokes or situations will be funny to everyone.
What makes people laugh can vary greatly depending on individual tastes, cultural differences, and personal experiences. It's always important to be mindful of others' sensitivities and boundaries when attempting to use humor.
For example, I would not find it humorous when someone gets hurt or is called an offensive term. Another person may not find satire funny, either, or they may even find acts of kindness to be uncomfortable. The nice thing about humor is there are some commonalities, but ultimately everyone is different.
I enjoy getting to know what makes people laugh as it can show me things about them. It can give me insight into their sense of humor, emotional state, social dynamics, interpersonal skills, and coping mechanisms.
With that said, it is important to try to take laughter in conjunction with other factors and not always make assumptions based on a person’s humor.
FitPros offers a couple of awesome classes chalked full of guaranteed laughter. Improv is a favorite of mine. We host these sessions virtually and on-site for companies all over the world, and last fall we invited one of the instructors to FitPros HQ Team Retreat. Not only did we laugh and learn about each other during the session but we laugh about the activities months later.
Laughter is more nuanced than meets the eye. It has many benefits for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. But more than that, it’s a powerful and natural human response that brings joy and positivity to our lives.
We all can use some more joy in our lives, so today and every day, I invite you to take some time to laugh out loud and enjoy the many benefits of laughter!
FitPros is a turn-key wellness provider empowering people to take charge of their personal health.
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