Behind this age-old adage, there surely are some scientific studies involved.  Laughing is good for the health and activates the relaxation response of the body naturally. As per the studies, having a good laugh is like internal jogging wherein all the internal organs are getting massaged. Besides, laughing out loud also has healing properties. And surely it is contagious.

Reasons why laughter is considered as the best medicine include the following:

  1. It is contagious –When you are low being with friends who can make you laugh would help your brain trigger its own laughter response. It contributes greatly to your sense of well-being. This is the reason why people put a criteria called good sense of humour when looking for a partner. Shared laughter over Some funny and great jokes is surely a great feeling.
  2. Immunity booster – Gleeful laughter can also increase the natural killer cell levels. These are basically white blood cells which attacks the cancer cells.
  3. Reduces the stress response – Laughter leads to contraction of muscles which eventually increases the oxygenation and blood flow. It makes one feel relaxed emotionally and physically.
  4. Combats anxiety and depression – As per studies, laughter has been very instrumental in curing depression and anxiety. Unhappy people tend to create their boundaries where they allow no one to enter and thus they spiral more and more towards depression. Instead of the victim approach, it is always great to look at the situation with fresh mindset. Even a few minutes of forced laughter can do great wonders and can improve the mood greatly.
  5. Helps in relieving pain – when people are prone to laughing they are able to overcome any kind of discomfort. It is not that the people who laugh experience less pain but they are actually less bothered about it. Laughing is not about changing the levels of pain but the levels of perceiving the pain changes when a person laughs.
  6. Helps in reducing the stress – Due to the contraction of muscles while laughing the blood flow and oxygenation also increase. The lungs and heart get the stimulation and release the endorphins which help you become more and more relaxed.

Conclusion

You can always laugh when you are watching comedy show or maybe reading a funny book. You can also spend some time with your friends and practice laughter yoga which would prove to be helpful to you and your friends as well.