Skip to Main Content

Department of Health and Social Services Library

Mental Health Monday: Laughing

by Michelle Wynne-Feigin on 2024-07-01T09:00:00-04:00 | 0 Comments

"Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine." - Lord Byron

"Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air, and you." - Langston Hughes

Today is International Joke Day and laughter beneficial for mental health and self-care.
(Sources: Mayo Clinic, American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, Something)

Laughter has proven to be a great stress reliever! 
In the short term, it helps soothe tension in your body, releases endorphins in your brain, and it activates and relieves your stress response, so you are left with a good, relaxed feeling. It also decreases in cortisol production.
In the long term, laughter can improve your mood, improve your immune system, and may relieve pain.

Laughter (and a sense of humor) is a sign of high intelligence
It takes a lot of brain power to be considered funny! It requires powers of observation, good communication skills, timing, and cognitive skills for context, word play. So next time you hear some dad jokes, appreciate their cognitive comprehension as you roll your eyes!

Used as a therapeutic practice for anxiety and depression
Laughter is a free, natural way to release dopamine and other neurotransmitters to regulate your mood and make you feel better. Even just the physical act of laughing has been linked to stress reduction and increase in pain tolerance.

 


 Add a Comment

0 Comments.

  Subscribe



Enter your e-mail address to receive notifications of new posts by e-mail.


  Archive



  Return to Blog
This post is closed for further discussion.