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Benefits of laughter research
Benefits of laughter research
Essays about the positive effects of laughter on emotional and physical health
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When you are feeling down finding friends to make you feel better can help your brain trigger its own response and foster closeness, both of which contribute to your sense of well-being. It’s a sense of humor also a important trait, It’s Contagious we like the feeling of shared laughter and our body wants as much of this feeling as possible. Laughter is a subconscious device that is effective in reducing pain and anxiety of people suffering from disease, injuring or mental illness
It’s a physiological response. “The effects of laughter and exercise are very similar," says Wilson. "Combining laughter and movement, like waving your arms, is a great way to boost your rate. “One pioneer in laughter research, William Fry, claimed it took ten minutes
It’s not about changing pain levels. The amount of pain remains the same, but your perceived pain levels reduce and your belief that you can cope increases. Laughter by itself isn’t the solution but it can help a person overcome discomfort. Benefits of laughter, laughter are the best medicine. Besides bringing people together and establishing connections, research has revealed that laughter helps cure and prevent a number of medical conditions. To start with, people who laugh often lower their blood pressure, thus avoiding other health conditions such as strokes and heart attacks. Still, laughter reduces the level of stress hormones, which further cuts the unwanted anxiety and stress in life. In addition, as people laugh, the muscles in the stomach expand and contract, just like it happens when people are exercising. Such an exercise is not only good for individual’s health, but it also tones the tummy abs. More so, laughter helps in activation of T cells, which are important in boosting the immune system. Clearly, laughter is very beneficial to an individual’s health. People who have the habit of laughing and maintaining a positive attitude throughout the day will have an easy time fighting off diseases. Actually, laughter triggers the secretion of
This book is about so many things, it is hard to stay on one topic for any length of time. In order to focus on the laugh and laughing as a healing agent, I would like to look towards other influential writers and thinkers to tie together laughing and healing. First, let’s see what laughter is according to Meriam Webster: laughter- n. a cause of merriment. Using this simple definition, we can assume that laughter can come from any form of merriment or emotion like triumph, contempt, relief, and almost any other emotion there is. It is easy to picture in your head different underlying emotions in laughter; the sinister laughs of witches and ghosts, the insincere, fake laughs you hear after pointless, humorless attempts at jokes on the six o’clock news, to the silent laughs of mimes and clowns that fill the people around them with a happy feeling. These are all examples of what laughter is and how it is used. But why do we do it? What in nature created the laugh and made it so successful?
Laughter is a very complex process. We don’t ever think about it, but our bodies can use up to 80 muscles. Meanwhile, body structures and systems of the brain, such as the limbic system are hard at work also. Although it is a rather difficult method, whenever our body produces laughter, it helps us in more ways than just one. It can help us physically by releasing endorphins, lowering the chances of heart attacks, and even our immune system. It can help us both mentally and socially as well, building great relationships and by releasing stress. If the human race did not laugh, more and more people would die of things such as heart disease or even depression. Most people can agree, without laughter, our world would be a much darker place. It’d definitely be an unhealthy society.
Various populations can benefit from the therapeutic use of humor, often it is used with either the exceptionally young or old populations, but the benefits of humor extend beyond age and gender limits. Commonly, it’s implemented in young populations with severe to mild physical or mental disabilities or with those experiencing serious and terminal illness (Saper, 1990). Humor is used as a method of coping with or coming to terms with life changing illnesses for both old an...
Although modern science has allowed us to develop many complex medicines, laughter is still the strongest one available in the real world and in the book. Laughter proves to be a strong medicine in more ways than one and is completely free, allowing anyone to use it at anytime. It allows us to connect socially with people, it can be used as a way of overthrowing power, and it is good for your health. As Randle McMurphy showed in the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, laughter can lighten the mood in the darkest situations.
The spectrum of therapeutic techniques available within the health care continuum is very complex and varied. From traditional medicine, to holistic remedies, and anything in between, nurses have a rather large arsenal at their disposal when it comes to treating the patients that are under their care. Humor as an alternative therapy has long been understood as a proven means to aid in the recovery process. “With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health” (Smith & Segal, 2015). The purpose of this paper is to discuss situations in which humor would be a viable alternative therapy
Laughter also proves a vital role in helping the patients deal with their problems. Not only does it help them deal with problems but it also gave them the push toward progress on getting out of the institution.
In “Happiness and Its Discontents” Daniel M.Haybron describes the relationship between pain and happiness. Put simply, pain doesn 't bring happiness,happiness comes from within.
In the end, laughter is proven as the best medicine by what it has done for the men on the ward; they have grown stronger and more confident, finally overtaking the Nurse for good. In the beginning they were weak and willing to do anything the Nurse told them to do, and even though laughter on the ward set them off guard, it made and impact on them immediately. Laughing for the men shows that they are sane and allow them to be happy. For as Sean O’ Casey said, laughter makes life worth living, and for the men, laughter made them stronger and allowed them to finally be free.
Laughter is often said to reduce stress and produce pain reliving hormones. It is the ‘fountain of youth’, the secret ingredient to longevity. A person who laughs all the time is, more often than not, healthier and happier than a person who rarely laughs at all. Laughter is known as a natural form of medicine. However, like many other things, some people take the laughter and the jokes too far. This is the case in the story, “The Approximate Size of My Favorite Tumor,” by Sherman Alexie.
Some clues for the physiological basis of laughter have come from people who suffered brain injuries, strokes or neurological diseases. C.B., a landscaper in Iowa, is one of them. Three years ago, at the age of 48, C.B. suffered a stroke. Fortunately, he recovered quite well and was expected to return to his normal life. However, since the stroke, C.B. and those around him, have been perplexed by certain changes in his behavior. Though he seems healthy, and doesn't suffer any pain, occasionally, for no noticeable reason, he bursts out into uncontrollable, wild laughter. In other cases, out of the blue, he is swept into tears in a similar attack.
Yoshino S., Fujimori J., Kohda M.. Effects of mirthful laughter on neuroendocrine and immune systems in patients with rheumatoid arthritis [letter]. J Rheumatol 23: 793-4 (1996).
Natural Pain Killer: Laughter plays a vital role in increase of endorphins in our bodies, which is considered to be natural pain killers. Norman Cousins, an American journalist who was suffering from incurable disease of the spine was benefited with laughter therapy when no painkiller could help him. It was found that endorphins help in reducing the intensity of pain in those suffering from spondylitis arthritis, and muscular spasms of the body. Many women have reported a reduced frequency of migraine and tension
Feeling down and depressed? Laugh all those troubles away. Laughter is a simple yet substantial way of putting that little spring back in the step. When people say “Laughter is the best medicine,” what are they referring to? Laughing acts as calorie burner, prevents heart disease or other illnesses, can increase learning abilities and focus, or even bring a more optimistic outlook on life.
Those who use humor to its best advantage teach others by example. Instead of getting angry when something goes wrong, we should try to look for the humor in the situation. It eases tensions and keeps things in perspective. Humor can energize us when a task has become tedious. Humor can make even the worst of situations tolerable.
If there is one way to bring a smile to someone’s face, it is laughter. Funny jokes, comical stunts, sarcasm- Every person is different when it comes to what makes them laugh. Some find dry humor comical. Others think sarcasm or joke-filled ranting are the best. ‘Comedy’ is such a broad term, broad enough to allow everyone to find something they find comical. In fact, ‘comedy’ includes a specific type of drama, one where the protagonist is joyful and happy endings are expected. Comedy is like a drug; it allows you to escape reality. When we say the word ‘comedy’ in the present, we are generally referring to a type of performance which provides humor. However, in its broadest sense, comedy has only one purpose: comedy makes people smile and