Research has shown health benefits of laughter ranging from strengthening the immune system to reducing food cravings to increasing one's threshold for pain. There's even an emerging therapeutic field known as humor therapy to help people heal more quickly, among other things. Humor also has several important stress relieving benefits.
Stress Management Benefits of Laughter:
- Hormones: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.
- Physical Release: Have you ever felt like you "have to laugh or I'll cry"? Have you experienced the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.
- Internal Workout: A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart.
- Distraction: Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress and negative emotions in a more beneficial way than other mere distractions.
- Perspective: Studies show that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a 'threat' or a 'challenge'. Humor can give us a more lighthearted perspective and help us view events as 'challenges', thereby making them less threatening and more positive.
- Social Benefits of Laughter: Laughter connects us with others. Also, laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you to laugh more, and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more!
Perfect joke
"Past research into humor has revealed important insights into brain functioning," says Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire near London. About this time last year, he created a project called the Laugh Lab. Its mission: Find the world's funniest joke.
Wiseman's quest for the perfect joke began with a call for jokes put out over the Internet. After his staff weeded out obscene submissions and edited away racial epithets, he recorded the most popular jokes and posted audio files on a Web site. Visitors were asked to rate what they heard. Last fall, a computer picked the joke that was most appealing to both sexes, in all age groups, in all countries. It was submitted by Gurpal Gosall, a 31-year-old psychiatrist from Manchester, England. Perhaps you've heard it. The joke goes like this:
A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn't seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cellphone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator, in a calm, soothing voice, says: "Just take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy's voice comes back on the line. He says: "Okay, now what?"http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health_medicine/1281101.html
The most viewed funny video ever
I'm really impressed by such an energy of that man! In my opinion that video is really funny, but I don’t think that about this joke.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know that there are so many physical benefits of a laughter (for shoulders, muscles and heart). I had known that a laughter can reduce the level of stress hormones and it can increase the level of endorphins, but I had no idea that it increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. So for me that text was really helpful.
I’ve already seen this video, someone send me a link „Watch it, it’s really cool!”, i liked it a lot. As we can see there are many things that makes us laugh, firstly we think about jokes, funny expressions. And here, the man is only dancing and alle the public il laughing and having a great fun. In this case the thing which is the most important is the reference to well known songs and melodies. And it’s the base for all kind of jokes and funny situations. However, the refererences are often different - some jokes are funny only for one nation and not for the others. It’s caused by the differcences in cultures, ways of life etc.
ReplyDeleteI've seen this guy's performance first time and it really enjoyed it. He looks so funny when he dance like Michael. But very important are also his facial expression - sometimes he's face looks terribly stupid. I also found out many interesting things in this text. Especially I was amaze about how laughter can improve and strengthen our immune system.
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ReplyDeleteThis video is very funny. He must be the happiest person in the world:)))Laughter is more than just an enjoyable activity. It is very beneficial to the body and mind. It doesn't cost a cent and it is highly contagious. Laughter lowers blood pressure, activates the immune system, triggers the release of endorphins, reduces stress hormones, helps reduce pain, allows muscles to relax and is helpful for breathing as frequent laughter empties the air of lungs.
ReplyDeleteLaughter is also a special of physical effort. Sometimes after all-day laughing we can feel a pain in our muscles of the trunk.
ReplyDeleteLaugh and dance have lots in common. Dance films are often relaxing and funny. By the way I recommend a new polish film “Love and dance” :)
Laughter and dance are two very pleasurable activities. Pleasurable and first of all, healthy. I'm really impressed by performance of this guy, especially of his energy and creativity. Of course I'm delighted with repertoire of music pieces. I think that this joke could amuse most of people, even those without sense of humour;)
ReplyDeleteLaughter is a natural reaction of an organism when we feel too badly and when the stress is increasing. In this way we can understand laughter as a way to reduce tension.
ReplyDeleteLaughter also makes us happier and show other people that we are friendly, open-minded and don't have bad intentions. It makes we have more friends and seem to be happier.
So we should do nothing but laugh ;) (like by watching videos like the one above :) )
Laugther is realy important for our organism.It's reduces the level of stress hormones, it even provides a good workout for the heart, improve and strengthen our immune system,it connects us with others and what is the most important when we laught we feel better
ReplyDeletebecause laughter provides a physical and emotional release. Recapitulate laughter is the best of medicine for our body and mentality.
Laughter it is the most popular, international reaction for the funny situation, but sometimes it's response for stress. Humor can give us a more lighthearted perspective and help us think more positive.
ReplyDeleteLaughter is really important in our life - it gives us a lot of hapinnes, help us to accept bad news and forget about them, to see more positive things in our life and feel good and have fun in sociable life. the laughter also help us to take away emotions and relax. It is good for health and well-being.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that laughter is goog for everithing. The scietist think that people who making a lot of laugher live longer. It is true that lougter is important for our body becouse help us reduces of stres and i good for our blod pressure.
ReplyDeleteI am still quite unsure what is laughter, and why do we laugh. But this is surely a positive thing. It makes us forget about our troubles (even for short moment - it's something worthful) and makes our lives more pleasant.
ReplyDeleteWe nlaught when we are happy but also when we are stressed. Laughter is the best medicine for people. I saw once a film with Ronib Williams "Patch Adams" where we opende a clinic where people were treated by laughter. It is the easiest way of showing our mood. And about this video. This man rokcks!! He was amaizing.
ReplyDeleteLaugh is very important in my life. When I laugh at something I feel much better and my troubles look not so desperately.
ReplyDeleteThis man is amazing, his dance is perfectly funny and amazing. Journey into history of dance is a good idea. In plus is a funny method that he show this evolution
ReplyDeleteIt is great movie! This man is fantastic. He has sense of humor what I realy like:) It is truth that laugh has good influence on people. I've just seen this film and I feel better!
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ReplyDeleteVery good video. I like actors who portray different famous people. They are very good in their job. When I have watched that movie I had nice day.
ReplyDeleteLaughter is a very important think in our life. We laught when we are happy and sometimes when laugh when we are nervous. Laughter can vent emotions, even if they are negative emotions. I knew about the positive effects of laughter, but I am surprised that how laughter affects the body and organs. I think we will know more and more positive effects of laughter.
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