Stress Relief By Laughter

Stress has been shown to create unhealthy physiological changes, we know the connection between stress and high blood pressure , muscle tension , immunosuppression , and many other changes.

When we are unable to cope well with the stress in our life, our mind and body may pay the price.

Laughter is your birthday , a natural part of life that is innate and inborn.

Infants begin smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within months of being born , even if you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound , you can learn to laugh at any stage of life.


Laughter and humor are two powerful tools , helping people cope and get through threatening situations , there is a connection between laughter and healthy relationships.

Laughter can be a wonderful addition to a healthy life style , we change physiologically when we laugh we stretch muscles throughout our face and body , our pulse and blood pressure go up , and we breath faster , sending more oxygen to our tissues .

Benefits of laughter

Laughter reduces the level  of stress hormones like :

a)  Cortisol : the primary hormone , increases sugars (glucose) in the blood stream .

b)  Ephinephrine (Adrenaline) : increases your heart rate , elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies .

c)  Dopamin : is involved in the “fight or flight response”  and associated with elevated blood pressure

Laughter increased two hormones :

1. Human growth hormone (HGS) : which helps with immunity.
2. Beta-endorphins : the family of chemicals that alleviates depression.

Researchers from Loma Linda University in California studied the Cortisol , Epinephrine ( Adrenaline ) levels of male volunteers both before , during , and after a humorous event that they were anticipating ,they found that Cortisol was reduced by 39% , Epinephrine by a whopping 70% , Human growth hormone increased by 87% , and Beta-endorphins increased by 28% .

Dr.Lee Berk , the lead researcher from the team , said , “Our findings lead us to believe that  by seeking out positive experiences that make us laugh  we can do a lot with our physiology to stay well .”       

Stronger immune system:
Laughter increases the number of antibody – producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of  T cells (T lymphocytes ) , and increase the number and activity level of natural killer cells that attack viral infected cells and some types of cancer and tumor cells , and improving your resistance to disease .

Decreases pain :
In study published in Journal of Holistic Nursing , patients were told one – liners after surgery and before painful medication was administered , those exposed to humor perceived less pain when compared to patients who didn’t get a dose of humor as part of their therapy .

Relaxes your muscles: a good hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45minutes after .

Prevents heart disease: laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow which can help protect you against a heart attack and control high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular problems .

Best exercise for bronchitis and asthma by improving the lung capacity and oxygen level in the blood.

Improve interpersonal relationships and self-confidence.

Laughter is a state of the mind –body in which the dominant emotions are pleasure, peace, love and joy , shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting.

Corporate laughter benefits percentage :

• Reduce stress 69 %
• Improve personality 57 %
• Improve creativity 43 %
• Improve teamwork 39 %
• Develop trust 35 %
• Improve participation 40 %
• Improve leadership 24 %
•  Personal laughter benefits percentage :
• Improve lung capacity 51%
• Make you look younger 38%
• Improve blood pressure 36%
• Improve meditation 32%
• Improve immune system 40%
• Better control of speech 23%
• Reducing snoring 20%

Creating opportunities to laugh

Watch a funny movie or TV show : watching truly hilarious movies and shows is an easy way to get laughter into your life whenever you need it.

Laugh with friends : going to a movie or comedy club with friends is a great way to get more laughter in your life .

Find humor in your life and when you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing practice smiling .

Read the funny pages.

Seek out funny people : there are people who laugh easily and routinely find the humor in everyday events , their playful point of view and laughter are contagious .

Share a good joke or a funny story.

Make time for fun activities.

Think positive : look for the positive or the humorous in every situation and surround yourself with others who do the same .

Laugh and the world laughs with you : find a way to laugh about your own situations and watch your stress begin to fade away.      
We Need To Laugh More!
Laughter lifts us up , life becomes worth living ,we experience that vanishing state of being called relaxation , we stress less and enjoy other people more , we become fully present in the moment.

 As laughter, humor, and play become an integrated part of your life, your creativity will flourish and new discoveries for playing with friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and loved ones will occur to you daily. Humor takes you to a higher place where you can view the world from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced perspective.