I clearly remember the night when I suddenly woke up to the sound of laughter from our living room. I checked my alarm clock and it showed 2 am. Confused, I got out of bed to see for myself. It was my sister, Reema, lounging on the couch, completely engrossed in an old episode of Seinfeld, our all-time favourite show. She was watching the episode where Kramer decides to swim in the East River to ease his back pain, only to come back smelling. I couldn’t help but laugh as I went and plopped next to her.
My sister had been waiting for her MBA exam results and was unusually restless those days. She’d skip meals, not meet her friends and even ignore her favourite movies and sitcoms. But that night, seeing her laugh and be cheerful made me truly happy.
This beautiful moment has stayed with me since. It is a great example of the power of laughter, of how it can almost immediately make us feel light, reduce our stress, connect us to something positive and even make things seem magical.
We often underestimate laughter, assuming it’s just a reaction to something funny, but the reality is it’s much more than that. It can do wonders for our health and wellbeing. According to studies, laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemical; this helps improve mood and eases pain. A few studies also state that it increases pain tolerance and strengthens social bonds. So, it’s evident that laughter must be made an essential part of our day. A conscious effort to include it in our lives is needed.
A wonderful day, World Laughter Day, was founded by Dr Madan Kataria, the creator of the Laughter Yoga movement in the year 1998. Through laughter, the day aims to promote peace, positivity and friendship. It highlights the benefits of laughter—how it can ease stress, improve mood and form social connections. World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May. On this special day, let us explore the surprising benefits of a good belly laugh.
Yes, laughter is something that can cheer us up and help improve our mood, but it does a lot more than that. Did you know that having a good laugh every day can lower the risk of serious health issues? Metabolic Syndrome is a group of problems such as high blood pressure and sugar levels etc. These further lead to serious issues such as heart diseases in many people. The good news is that laughter can help lower the risk of Metabolic Syndrome in some.
According to a study published in the Diabetes & Metabolism Journal in 2009, people who laughed more often had a lower risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome—the research suggests that laughter can help the body function better and keep several ailments at bay. Clearly, there is no other nicer or cooler way to keep health on our side than to laugh every day!
Living a long, healthy and happy life is something that we all wish for us and our beloved people. But most of us tend to think that we can achieve it via our diets, fitness regimens and daily checkups. There’s one simple yet very important thing that we overlook, and that is laughter. Believe it or not, laughter can actually add years to our life. According to a study published in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, people with a good sense of humour and a positive outlook live longer.
As the old saying goes, laughter is the best medicine. Even science agrees that a hearty laugh is the easiest and most fun way to boost lifespan.
1..2…3… Plank! You are on the yoga mat, holding your breath. Your gym trainer watches you closely as you try to stay steady in that vertical plank position. Yes, you want to strengthen that core and have been at it for months. But here’s something fun that you might not know: laughter is a mini workout for your abs. When you laugh, your abdominal muscles contract and relax, much like the workouts you do. A good laugh can activate your core muscles and improve circulation. It might even leave you a little out of breath, as if you have just done a set of crunches!
Further, laughter can boost blood flow and help tone muscles of the body when practiced regularly over a specific period of time. Although it’s no replacement for regular workouts, adding a little laughter can be great for your core health.
Have you observed what happens when a little child cries, holding on to their mother’s saree, refusing to go to school? Or when a kid sobs after a little tiff with their sibling? Parents often use laughter to cheer them up and distract them. Using a silly joke, a tickle or by being funny in some manner, parents make it alright for their kids. Stress, hard times, difficult days are all a part of our lives, no matter what our age and place. But sometimes, all we need is a good laugh to pull us away from our worries.
Just like my sister who distracted herself from the stress she was experiencing by laughing heartily to her favourite comedy—all of us can remember incidents from our lives where laughter became a lovely escape and made hard times bearable. In fact, laughter is a gentle way to distract us from the heaviness of life. It gives our overthinking minds a much-needed break and makes us feel lighter almost instantly.
Laughter can help reduce stress, ease pain, strengthen core and lower the risk of Metabolic syndrome.
Studies have shown that people who laugh more often and stay positive live longer.
Laughter lightens our mood and helps shift our perspective to see life in a more positive way.
Watch funny shows, read lighthearted books, spend time with people who make you laugh. Make a conscious effort to add laughter in your life daily.
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