5 benefits of laughter you need to know
Tom Cronin is a meditation teacher, life coach and writer. He is the founder of The Stillness Project, a global movement that aims to help people on their journey towards calmness and fulfilment.
Deepak Chopra once said that “the healthiest response to life is laughter” and I’d like to say I wholeheartedly agree because life without laughter is simply a lot less exciting. And did you know that there are many other benefits to your daily giggles? Yep. Every time you start chuckling there are a number of amazing effects that occur to your mind and body. It’s as though laughing is compulsory in our lives! Would you agree? Here are five of my favourite benefits of laughing I discovered. Enjoy!
1. Laughter boosts confidence
Every time I laugh at myself it always lightens my mood. And I’ve discovered that the most confident people in this world possess the ability to laugh at themselves because they don’t take themselves too seriously. Sure, they are serious with their work and what they do but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t given themselves room to make mistakes and laugh about it when they fumble a little. And that’s what sets them apart from others – their laughter shows they are comfortable and accepting that they are not perfect. So the next time you make a silly mistake at work don’t stress, just give yourself a laugh and you’ll see how you’ll relax and perform better in your career.
2. Laughter burns calories
Did you know that laughing is an exercise on its own? Yep. Every time you start those giggles you’re giving a chance for your facial muscles and abdomens to stretch and flex. In fact, according to a research published in science journal Obesity, 15 minutes of laughing daily could burn you 10 – 40 calories! While I wouldn’t recommend you to scratch exercise let’s just say you could spend a whole day laughing and have yourself shedding some calories at the same time!
3. Laughing increases longevity
Did you know that a study conducted in 2005 by the University of Maryland found that laughter improves the function of our blood vessels? Yup. Using comedies to gage the effects of emotions on cardiovascular health, they found that laughter is linked to a healthy function of blood vessels. All your giggles can cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand in order to increase blood flow. So if you’re making grandpa laugh on a daily basis, you could be helping his blood flow smoothly which results to longevity. Pretty amazing don’t you think?
4. Laughing improves relationships
If it’s one thing a relationship should always have, it’s plenty of laughter. In fact, most couples who made it to their golden years will tell you it was their ability to laugh together even in the toughest times that got them through whatever challenges that came their way. But how did they do it? They remained optimistic and encouraging of each other and suddenly everything seemed lighter – it seemed easier to chuckle at the little things that happened around them and they would build stronger bonds from those moments as well. So the next time you and your significant other are having a rift, try seeing the bright side in this and you’re bound to find something funny.
5. Laughter can help you go through the toughest times
When conflict is eminent most of us find it difficult to even crack a smile but if it’s one thing I’ve learned is that I survived those tough times with not only stillness – but through laughter. From hearing my children saying the silliest statements to reading a book that made me laugh, these outlets gave me that hope that these tough times will pass and things will get better soon.
Written by Tom Cronin. First appeared on The Stillness Project.
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