Personal Care - How Laughing Will Help You Live Longer

One aspect of healthy living, taking personal care of yourself is vital to physical health and to mental health. Diet and physical exercise important health factors but psychological health is equally important. Managing stress and exercising one’s sense of humor are arguably as important to a person’s health as getting the proper nutrition. Laughter can have a profound effect on how long you live as well as helping you stay stress free on a daily basis.

Laugh to Live

Laughter has long been held to be the cure-all for stress and the means by which human beings are able to cope with the sometimes-demanding nature of life. Having a good laugh can be the difference between a bad day and a good one, making it easier to deal with tough situations or even extreme loss. Scientific research concludes that laughter can help a your ability to fight off disease and stay strong--in effect helping you live longer.

How Does Laughter Help?

When you laugh, your brain gives off endorphins, naturally-occurring chemicals that make you feel good. This makes it easier to manage stress and cope with hardship. The most stressful or unpleasant situation can be remedied by laughter. Humor is one of the greatest characteristics of being human. It puts things into perspective as well as empowers people. Do you ever wonder why the court jester was allowed to say anything he wanted to the king while the other courtesans watched their words? It was because the jester made the king laugh.

Additionally, laughter is actually exercise. It works many of the body’s muscles, invigorating you physically as much as it does mentally. Muscles that are literally worked out when you laugh include your diaphragm, abdominals, lungs and facial, leg and back muscles. It can also lower blood pressure and raise your heart rate--just like exercise.

Surround Yourself with Laughter

Both scientific and anecdotal evidence point to the power of laughter to help you live a longer richer life, so if you have a habit of letting stress overcome your ability to enjoy yourself, you should try to surround yourself with opportunities to laugh. Life can be exceedingly humorous if you know how to look at it. You don’t have to laugh at peoples’ misfortunes either. Learning to see the funny side of things will do. If what it takes is watching more comedies or being in the company of humorous people more often, try it. At times it seems that there is so much seriousness in the world there is no place for laughter. Humor is as important as the air you breathe, so it always finds somewhere to thrive.

Laughing can actually help you live longer. It has been shown to exercise many of the muscles of your body in addition to releasing endorphins which make you feel good. Scientific research on laughter validates the age-old belief that laughter is at the heart of a healthy life. By some estimates, the average adult laughs 17 times each day. If you often feel stressed or worrisome, give yourself the opportunity to laugh at least as much as the average if not more for a more serene and longer life.