Laughter May Just be the Best Medicine
Across the board there are many diseases and conditions that are stress related, or generated by stress. Everything from heart disease to increased risk for stroke and diabetes--even the mysterious fibromyalgia, all view stress as a trigger and in some way shape or form, can be linked back to stress. Now think about this. What if all along, we`ve been only treating a symptom rather than the cause?
A study conducted at Loma Linda University found that participants who viewed a funny video experienced a decrease in stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine. They also showed an increase in endorphins, which are neurotransmitters, (commonly released during exercise) that can boost your mood and alleviate depression. Participants also had an elevated level in human growth hormones, which can boost the immune system. Laughter doesn`t just assuage stress from emotional pain--it also assists in the ease of physical pain as well, as seen in a study conducted by the University of Oxford in England shows that laughter can raise your tolerance for pain by releasing endorphins as well.
So instead of stressing out, take a deep breath, count to ten, put on a funny movie or visit your favorite website and release some of that stress in a hearty chuckle!
