Given all the research showing that lower stress benefits employees and reduces absenteeism, the freedom to laugh seems not just good, but necessary at work. Of course, there can be downsides to too much humor — or too much laughter. For example, leaders who tease staff members or tell dirty jokes can pave the way for other employees to behave badly. And Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter notes that numerical minorities in professional situations, such as a woman with a group of men, may feel pressured to laugh at jokes that demean the minority.
But within the bounds of decency, laughter on the whole is a good thing, and the benefits far outweigh the risks. My advice: Let your laugh fly free. Not all day, every day of course. You have 1 free article s left this month. You are reading your last free article for this month. Subscribe for unlimited access. Create an account to read 2 more. Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
Laughter burns calories. Nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment. Laughter may even help you to live longer.
The difference was particularly notable for those battling cancer. Laughter makes you feel good. And this positive feeling remains with you even after the laughter subsides.
Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss.
More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh—or even simply a smile—can go a long way toward making you feel better.
And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in the fun. Laughter stops distressing emotions. Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more. Laughter shifts perspective , allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light.
A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and diffuse conflict. Laughter draws you closer to others, which can have a profound effect on all aspects of your mental and emotional health. And the more laughter you bring into your own life, the happier you and those around you will feel. Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting.
All emotional sharing builds strong and lasting relationship bonds, but sharing laughter also adds joy, vitality, and resilience. And humor is a powerful and effective way to heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Laughter unites people during difficult times. Humor and playful communication strengthen our relationships by triggering positive feelings and fostering emotional connection.
When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment. Humor and laughter in relationships allows you to:.
Be more spontaneous. Humor gets you out of your head and away from your troubles. Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget resentments, judgments, criticisms, and doubts. Under certain conditions, our bodies perform what the Encyclopedia Britannica describes as "rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory and involuntary actions" -- better known as laughter.
Fifteen facial muscles contract and stimulation of the zygomatic major muscle the main lifting mechanism of your upper lip occurs. Meanwhile, the respiratory system is upset by the epiglottis half-closing the larynx , so that air intake occurs irregularly, making you gasp.
In extreme circumstances, the tear ducts are activated, so that while the mouth is opening and closing and the struggle for oxygen intake continues, the face becomes moist and often red or purple. The noises that usually accompany this bizarre behavior range from sedate giggles to boisterous guffaws.
The problem is that laughter disappears just when he is ready to observe it -- especially in the laboratory. One of his studies looked at the sonic structure of laughter.
He discovered that all human laughter consists of variations on a basic form that consists of short, vowel-like notes repeated every milliseconds. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Discover World-Changing Science. So, the ubiquitous nature of laughter suggests that it must serve a purpose, but what? Why do we laugh? Here are a few scientific reasons Laughter clearly serves a social function. Is Astrology Real? Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter.
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