We know that laughter has a very strong social component and that laughing makes us enter a state of joy and enormous happiness. But what we don’t often think about are the many positive effects of laughing on our health.
We know that laughter is a good action that we associate with a positive event, but its benefits go further , as it has been seen to improve both physical and psychological health.
When we laugh and we do it frequently and genuinely, a series of physical improvements appear, such as the better functioning of the circulatory system and the respiratory system, improvement of the physical form, the state of the skin, among others, as well as psychological, decreases depressive states, anxiety, stress, increases self-confidence, self-esteem, improves communication, social relationships and problem solving.
These benefits of laughing have been known for a long time but it is relatively recently, at the end of the last century, when it has begun to be introduced more into therapies and treatments in the West, with special mention of laughter therapy . In this article we present the main positive consequences, both psychological and physical, that are generated when we laugh.
- We recommend you read: “The 8 types of laughter (and their characteristics)”
What are the positive effects of laughing?
We know that laughter normally indicates the precision of a positive event, which makes the subject be and feel good , but apart from this relationship that it shows with the presence of a pleasant event, it has been observed that the action of laughing for itself has multiple beneficial effects both physical and psychological for the subject.
This knowledge of the benefits it brings us is not recent, since in the East, in countries like China, laughter was already used as a means to improve health more than 4,000 years ago. Although it was not until the last century, the 70s, when this knowledge began to gain strength in the West, with different authors beginning to value the positive consequences of laughing.
Thus, positive results have now been obtained in multiple studies of the use of laughter as a technique for improving health , which is why it has begun to be used in different therapies in a complementary manner as one more strategy or taking more role as in laughter therapy, which is a therapy that aims to train the patient to see things from the positive side, starting from positive or pleasant emotions. So let’s see what benefits, both physical and psychological, bring us laughing.
1. Physical benefits of laughing
Laughter helps the best functioning of different parts of our body. It is important to note that the optimal smile to be favorable for our health is the genuine, true or also known as Duchenne, in this type of smile both the major and minor zygomatic muscles are involved, which are those that surround the mouth, as well as the orbicularis muscle that is near the eyes, causing the cheeks to rise.
1.1. Improves the condition of the lungs and heart
It has been observed that laughing improves the state of our lungs and our heart, since laughing increases the oxygen in our body , allowing cells to develop and evolve properly and helps to activate and the proper functioning of the respiratory and pulmonary systems. . In the same way, it also reduces the risk of heart attacks since when we laugh we generate spasms, contractions, in the diaphragm that strengthens both the lungs and the heart.
1.2. Benefits the proper functioning of the immune system
Another benefit of laughing is the improvement of the immune system, which is the system that is responsible for protecting us against pathogens, that is, against possible bacteria or viruses that can harm our body. In this way, laughter activates this system making us more resistant to possible diseases.
1.3. decreases pain
Laughing decreases the sensation of pain, this event occurs because when we laugh, with a real laugh, the body increases the release of endorphins , which are a natural analgesic that has the function of reducing pain. It has even been observed that laughter not only reduces pain but also helps it take longer to appear, slowing down its manifestation.
1.4. Helps you stay fit
If you laugh frequently it will help you stay in shape, since if you do it genuinely, as we have already mentioned, contractions and spasms of the diaphragm and muscles are produced, thus keeping the muscles activated. It has also been observed that with continuous laughter, heart rate and body effort increase, therefore it also contributes to a higher calorie expenditure.
1.5. Helps to lower blood pressure
It is necessary to continue conducting more studies on this subject, but it is believed that laughing can contribute to the improvement of blood pressure, since after activating the respiratory and circulatory systems, a body relaxation occurs that can help the strength of push of the blood against the wall of the arteries is less.
Likewise, the decrease in the force of the blood is also related to a decrease in the speed of the heartbeat, which reduces the possibility of presenting cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks or heart failure, strokes or kidney failure.
1.6. Improves the condition of our skin
It has been seen that laughing helps keep our skin young and rejuvenated, since it has toning and anti-wrinkle effects, as we pointed out before, laughing exercises and makes the muscles work, not only of the abdomen but also, of course, those of the face. Depending on how intense the smile is, we can use between 12 and 17 facial muscles.
1.7. Laughing increases the release of neurotransmitters
In the same way that we have said that laughing increases the release of endorphins, it has also been proven that it increases the release of other neurotransmitters such as dopamine , related to the reinforcement circuit, serotonin, called the hormone of happiness, and adrenaline, which improves breathing by dilating the bronchi.
1.8. Helps clear the nose and ears
Laughing out loud makes the head vibrate, in this way it helps to clear and uncover both the ears and the nose.
1.9. aids digestion
As we said before, laughing intensely produces contractions in the abdominal muscles that will also benefit digestion more easily.
2. Psychological benefits of laughing
In the same way that physical health has been favored, benefits have also been observed for psychological health.
2.1. stress reduction
Linked to the physical changes and benefits that we have already pointed out, laughter first generates an increase in breathing and blood pressure, and then a decrease in these and a consequent feeling of relaxation. The same happens with heart rate or muscle tension, generating a decrease in tension and as a consequence a decrease in the feeling of stress . Thus, it has been obtained that laughter decreases the production of cortisol, which is the main hormone related to stress.
2.2. Increased personal satisfaction
Smiling increases positive feelings and sensations and helps to face the different situations of life in a more favorable way. It is even believed that if we fake a smile, we force ourselves to smile, this action can also be interpreted positively and improve our state.
A decrease in worries is also observed, as well as a lower number of negative thoughts. The subject is distracted and along with the increase in the positive feeling, it benefits that he stops thinking about it and thinking about her concerns for a while.
23. Helps reduce depressive symptoms
As we have been saying, laughing increases the positive state , the feeling of positivity, thus making depressive symptoms less intense. Similarly, the increased release of endorphins and serotonin also helps improve and decrease depression.
2.4. improve your self-esteem
Laughing and the positive state that this action entails improve the assessment we make of ourselves, how we perceive ourselves, thus helping to increase our self-esteem. This increase in self-esteem also helps to have more self-confidence and reduce shyness.
2.5. decreased aggressiveness
Improvement in coping with difficult situations has also been verified , improving the way of solving problems, reducing the appearance of conflicts and aggressive behavior.
2.6. Communication improvement
Another social or psychological benefit is the improvement of communication, since, as we have already advanced, the negative state and the appearance of conflicts decrease and positive emotions and closeness with the people around us increase. The decrease in stress and anxiety, the increase in the feeling of calm, also improves communication.
2.7. Improves social relationships
Related to the improvement of the previous skills and abilities, such as the improvement of communication, self-esteem or self-confidence, social relations also benefit, proximity with others increases, the feeling of belonging to a group, cooperation with others, in short, they improve friendships.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.