Scientists have proven that cheerful people get sick much less than gloomy ones.
July 28 2019
Experiments with laughter are carried out by doctors around the world. They found that laughter:
– develops respiratory organs.
When we laugh, the inhalation becomes long and deep, and the exhalation, on the contrary, becomes short and strong. As a result, all the air leaves the lungs, they are cleansed, and the muscles of the respiratory system are strengthened. In addition, we get used, as they say, to breathe deeply.
– protects the heart and blood vessels.
With a gloomy mood, nervous tension, depression, vascular endothelium – cells that regulate local blood flow – are damaged. Vessels weaken, cholesterol plaques are easily formed on them, which, as you know, are the main culprits of atherosclerosis and heart attacks. According to research, before the disease, cores laughed half as often as their peers.
– strengthens the immune system.
Laughing increases the production of antibodies that fight viruses and bacteria. Ailments do not stick to a cheerful person, and if they do, then he does not feel fear of illness and treatment, therefore he recovers much faster than a whiner.
– soothes pain.
The hormones endorphins, which are released from laughter, act like pain relievers. And a laughing person is distracted from his pain and simply forgets about it.
– regulates pressure.
In hypertensive patients, after 10 minutes of laughter, the pressure decreases by 10–20 mm, while hypotensive patients, on the contrary, cease to feel weakness and dizziness.
– improves mood, drives away stress.
When we laugh, we feel happy. After laughing, our mood changes dramatically from bad to good. In addition, during the time of laughter, the amount of stress hormones in the body decreases: cortisol and adrenaline.
– relaxes.
When we laugh, we do some physical work, and when we stop laughing, we relax our muscles. It is believed that a minute of sincere laughter replaces 45 minutes of deep relaxation.
– promotes longevity.
Oxygen metabolism with laughter increases fourfold, and the physiological processes in the body are activated in the same way. For this, doctors call laughter “internal jogging.” Sincere laughter can easily replace going to the fitness club: it uses the muscles of the neck, back, abdomen and even legs! 10 minutes of laughter burns as many calories as five chocolates and is as stressful as cycling.
– increases efficiency.
The facial muscles stretch out to send signals to the brain and increase circulation. The mind becomes clear, concentration of attention improves, decisions are made faster.
– promotes communication, the appearance of friends, a healthy and pleasant atmosphere in the work team and at home.
Scientists believe that there is a neuron in the human brain that reads information from the faces of people around and makes us unconsciously copy their expressions. This means that a cheerful, smiling person evokes a response smile. When people in a team laugh, employees want to spend more time at work, and they work with interest and full dedication. Cheerful people resolve family conflicts faster and easier.
10 ways to treat laughter
1. Listen to fun music in the morning.
2. Watch more humorous programs and comedies on TV.
3. Go to funny shows and exhibitions.
4. Read a selection of anecdotes and humorous books.
5. Make fun friends and spend more time with them. Avoid communication with pessimists, gloomy, sullen people.
6. If you frown often, put your hand on your forehead while talking and do not let the folds gather. This way you can get rid of this bad habit.
7. If you feel sad, stretch your lips into a smile. The muscles will send a signal to the brain, and you will really have more fun. Even a simple smile triggers the production of endorphins.
8. Learn to find funny in any situation, even unpleasant to you.
9. Use such a powerful technique. If you were very angry by a person, for example, a boss, in your imagination, imagine him in a funny ridiculous situation: for example, you threw a cake in his face or he fell into a puddle in a white suit – and your anger will immediately evaporate.
10. At home, do the yoga pose of laughter every day. Lie on your back and start kicking around as if you were riding a bike. Move your hands in the same way and start laughing. Move your arms and legs as vigorously as you can and laugh out loud for at least 30 seconds. Then relax.
Laughter therapy is contraindicated:
– pregnant women;
– people suffering from hernia, hemorrhoids, eye diseases;
– patients in the postoperative period.