Laugh Your Blues Away

Millions of people around the world have bouts of depression. For some, their depression is Seasonal Affective Disorder whereby they are affected only during the fall and winter months. Others have symptoms of depression on a regular basis and are seeking healing through traditional medicine and counseling. Some choose non-conventional means such as herbal remedies. You may be surprised that you can even laugh your blues away, or at least use laughter as a form of treatment for depression.

There is an old saying that “Laughter is the best medicine.” That concept has been researched for years and there have been reports which explain how laughter – 15 minutes of real, hard belly laughs – can be as good for you as working out for 20 minutes.

Some people who suffer from mild depression may want to include some activities in their day which will produce laughter as a means to reduce their depression. Why laughter? There are many reasons. [Read more...]

Laughter Is The Best Stress Medicine

Happy_Face_LaughingThe medical field has proven that laughter actually works with your body toward good health. Have you ever heard the expression, “Laughter is the best medicine”? The truth is, when you laugh, several positive things happen. Your muscles relax; stress hormone product is reduced; you forget about pain; your body’s immune system is improved; high-blood pressure is lowered; the heart and lungs are strengthened; and overall, you feel better!

Dealing with Stress through Humor

Maintaining a sense of humor in difficult situations may sound ridiculous but the fact is, it is an effective way to cope with stress and improve overall well-being. After all, laughter is still the best medicine.

How laughter affects your body and reduces stress?

• Laughter helps reduce hypertension and lowers blood pressure.

• Laughter helps stressed people as well as those with respiratory ailments as it releases stale air from the lungs and body tissues.

• It increases blood circulation.

• It triggers the release of endorphins (also known as happy chemicals), giving you that happy and better feeling.

• It reduces neuroendocrine hormones (stress hormones) related to stress response, such as dopac, cortisol, growth hormones and epinephrine.

• Laughter is an alternative to physical activities as it is a good cardiac conditional, very helpful for people who cannot perform physical exercises. [Read more...]