I read a quote the other day,
One bout of anger will diminish the efficiency of your immune system for six hours, but one good laugh will increase diminish the efficiency of your immune system for twenty-four hours.
Yeah, sure. I believe positive emotions are healthy, but precise numbers? Sorry, I’m skeptical.
Anyway I searched for “laughter and immune system” and found this on the Mayo Clinic site:
Short-term benefits
A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can:
- Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
- Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
- Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.
Long-term effects
Laughter isn’t just a quick pick-me-up, though. It’s also good for you over the long term. Laughter may:
- Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.
- Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
- Improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier.
That sounds good to me. I wonder, though, would singing cheerful songs be as good? Given my singing voice, I’ll try that method during the day when Andy is out of the apartment. 😀
May 29, 2020
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I’m all for laughter, Monk. Opportunities for doing so are rare these days! But better days are ahead, they say.
Andy and I don’t have trouble finding things to laugh at. We’re forever doing dumb things and laughing about it.
Oh, I do believe that laughter is good for us…and anger is not. There are certain videos of Lorelei that we can watch and start laughing, or I go look up certain post by Sandra…and they get Roger to laughing, too.
Roger still can be so funny…I am not sure how we would have made it through the things we have without the humor. He has what we call ‘glitches’ since his stroke, and it is either laugh or cry and we choose to laugh. Crying would do no good anyway.
I’m so glad you can have a sense of humor to help. Good for you both!
I do smile and then sing a bit – but I find is that with my “short fuse” – that I shouldn’t let it get “on top of me” – look at the issue that caused it and then say to myself “is it solvable or shall I just let it go…”
I’ve began to “see” a lot since the pandemic hit the airwaves, not just from my personal stand point. But as I’ve kind of “slowed down” and let my pathway evolve it has helped a lot.
I had really though the blood tests would show up a whole heap of issues, but it all came back “normal” phew, maybe “the see” is helping.
Part of “the see” is looking after me personally both in body and fuel stakes. And it’s interesting but also enjoyable – like this morning with the extra fillet of fish, finding a recipe that is going to be different from last nights, which turned out great…
That’s great about your blood tests. I’m a problem solver, too — when things get in my way I stand back and see if there is something constructive I can do. It’s a great feeling when it works.
Guess it is time for all the blogs to post some funny jokes so we can all get a good laugh.:)
I usually find stories from real life funnier than jokes. But there are great exceptions to that. 🙂
laughter and good wholesome unprocessed food. the two staples of life.
and truly… laughter is the essence of life.
today on the web I saw a blonde lab literally playing joyfully in a PUDDLE!
I googled it by typing in the words below…
Freddie the lab from Indiana who finds joy in a puddle.
you will love him!
he has a neurological disorder but that doesn’t stop him! he’s SO WONDERFUL! he made me laugh right out loud. as most dog’s happy antics do!
sorry! you won’t find it. his name is Stevie!
I just now put in dog who finds joy in splashing in a puddle
and it worked. it’s gone viral of course! xo
Thank you! Yes, the internet is full of sunny and heartwarming things. 🙂
I truly believe that laughter is very good for you. I always feel better all over when I have days where there is a lot of laughter.
I know a few people right now who are find it hard to laugh at anything and it’s showing in their health.
Yes! 🙂
I do believe that laughter is good for the soul and also all these things that were mentioned. I too, don’t think they can use precise numbers. but it is enough to say that laughter is healthy and anger is unhealthy for the one angry and the one the anger is aimed at
I agree, it’s best not to use the numbers, but do the best we can to have healthy attitudes.
perhaps you should sing so your hubby could laugh? HA HA just KIDDING
No, he was serious about not liking my singing to our daughter. But he’s up on the land almost every day, so there’s no problem. 😀
I know I feel better when I sing. Too bad my singing makes Dave feel worse. 🙂
Singing is good for weight loss, too, and I can’t keep my body from moving while singing.
Medicare has a depression screening questionnaire that asks how often you do certain things. I wish it would ask how often I laugh because that would give a whole different perspective than the answers from this introvert about socializing.
😀 I’m lucky Andy is away part of the day so I can sing if I want.
I agree, the belief that the more socializing the better is hogwash. One size doesn’t fit all so stop the prejudice against introverts. They should study who thrives during stay-at-home orders and who doesn’t.
I very seldom get angry. I resolved at the age of ten not to be like my father, who was always bad tempered and would explode into rage at a moment’s notice (and died at the age of 70). On the other hand, I laugh a lot because I have a wild sense of humour and can see the funny side of just about anything. So I should be good for a few more years yet!
Good to hear! And good for you for your response to your father’s anger.
I’ve been a proponent of laughter’s benefits throughout my life. Let’s hear it for releasing those endorphins! I wonder how our genes enter into our inclination toward laughter — probably coupled with our environmental exposure, maybe parental influences as I think of my mother’s positive attitude throughout life despite some true challenges with which others might not cope as well.
For me it was a decision I made in my teens. Before that I was very serious and even depressed at times.