Everyday you’re faced with challenges and it’s completely up to you how to confront them. You can choose a positive attitude or a negative one. Laughing when faced with a challenge can help lift your mood (as well as those around you) and maybe you’ll be able to view the challenge in a better light. This will help you reduce stress and get tasks done quicker.
Laughter is also generally followed by a sense of relaxation, hence it’s a good form of stress relief. It can also be used as a way to reconnect with your family, especially during troubling times. When you laugh you generally talk more, make direct eye contact, and even get into closer physical contact.
Although laughter may seem simple, it has a powerful impact on both your mental and physical health. Taking a moment to laugh doesn't mean you're ignoring life's challenges - it means you're giving your mind and body a chance to recover. Finding joy in everyday moments can help build resilience and make it easier to cope with stress over time.
Laughter Is The Key To Mental Health
When you laugh, your body releases endorphins into the blood system. Endorphins act like natural pain killers and are also responsible for making you feel happy. The best part is endorphins are completely free of any side effects – it’s all natural! That’s why you feel a “natural high” after the right dose of laughter.
Laughing not only leads to a feeling of wellbeing, but it can also do the following:
Laughing Lowers Blood Pressure
This cycle starts with the blood pressure rising when you start to laugh, but then it decreases to levels below normal. When you take deep breaths while laughing, more oxygen-rich blood is transported quickly throughout your body.
Laughing Reduce Stress and Increase Your Attentiveness, Heart Rate, and Pulse
When your heart rate and pulse are elevated, you’ll feel more energized. Of course, being more attentive can lead to better learning and growth.
Laughter Makes Your Heart Grow Stronger
For a long time now, heart specialists have established that mental stress is particularly harmful to the heart and is one of the leading causes behind the build up of fat and cholesterol in the coronary arteries. By laughing and reducing that stress on a regular basis, you’re helping your body reduce that fat buildup while reducing your risk of a heart attack.
Laughter Lower Blood Sugar
Laughter helps with reducing stress and stress often leads to an increase in blood sugar levels.
Mental Health Is About More Than One Habit
While laughter is a wonderful tool for supporting emotional wellness, it's just one piece of the puzzle. Quality sleep, balanced nutrition, regular movement, stress management, meaningful relationships, and time spent doing activities you enjoy all contribute to better mental health. Small daily habits often have a greater impact than occasional big changes.
A Whole-Body Approach to Emotional Wellness
Laughter has many physical benefits to your overall health and wellbeing, but you still need to exercise, eat well, and go for your routine checkups.
At Hope Natural Health, we believe mental health is closely connected to your physical health. Hormone imbalances, chronic stress, inflammation, poor sleep, and nutritional deficiencies can all influence mood and emotional well-being. Taking a holistic approach allows you to support both your mind and body so you can feel your best. If you're struggling with stress, fatigue, or ongoing mood changes, we're here to help you uncover the root cause and create a personalized wellness plan.
Dr. Erin Ellis, ND
Dr. Erin Ellis, ND, is the founder of Hope Natural Health and a licensed Naturopathic Doctor with more than nine years of clinical experience specializing in women's hormone health. After overcoming cancer, Dr. Ellis made it her life's mission to help women find the root cause of why they don't feel like themselves. She believes "normal" lab results are only the beginning of the conversation - not the end - and is known for taking a deeper, investigative approach to hormone, thyroid, gut, and metabolic health.