Laugh Yourself Happy

Posted by Norma Richardson on December 5, 2010

It has been said that we don’t laugh because we’re happy- we’re happy because we laugh. It’s hard to imagine being able to laugh when things around you seem so bleak. But that is exactly the time that you need to find ways to laugh.

When you take yourself too seriously, you are afraid to make mistakes. Feeling limited and stuck is inhibiting and laughing tends to remove those inhibitions so that you can think outside the box. Laughing and having fun is linked with creativity and innovation.

Physically, laughter lowers blood pressure, increases vascular blood flow and oxygenation of the blood while giving a workout to the diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles. But more importantly at this time of the year, laughter reduces certain stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.

Laughter works wonderfully in the moment, but it has long term health-benefits as well. Laughter helps the pituitary gland release its own pain-suppressing opiates as experienced by Norman Cousins. His watching funny movies provided pain-relief sleep through the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers.

There are many more benefits, but when living with sadness and depression, laughter increases brain activity and the emotional system makes you happier. Laughter is a form of internal jogging and is one of the best ways to produce both endorphins and serotonin. Serotonin is considered a “happy” hormone as it greatly influences an overall sense of well-being. It also helps regulate moods, temper anxiety, and relieve depression as well as a natural sleep aid.

So how else can you get a free dose of happiness? If you want to be happy during this holiday season, get creative and uninhibited, try laughing with yourself and enjoy the moment.