Physical Health
The body releases powerful chemicals
Dopamine - feel good
Boosts the immune system
Increases oxygen levels
The diaphragm gets a good workout
Mental Health
A natural & effective antidote to stress
You don't need to feel good to laugh.
This is not about telling jokes, it is making use of child-like playfulness.
It is cathartic, like crying, and the two are closely related.
Social Health
A great way to relate to other people
Laughing with other people is a natural and pleasant way to improve relationships.
Emotional Health
Release painful emotions
As they surface - they want to be gone! Pain shows us that something needs looking at. Simple everyday stuff gets changed from lead to gold, a kind of alchemy. Maybe it's raining and you want to play tennis. This is not about denial. Yes, it IS raining, and you may have to change your plans. BUT to say it shouldn't be raining is a kind of madness! It is the case. It IS raining. If you make a judgement about what kind of day it is - "It's a dreadful day", well, guess what kind of day you are likely to have. Laughter totally disarms all these negative thoughts that we all get from time to time.
Spiritual Health
Joy is an element of your essential nature
There is a reservoir of joy deep within you that gets covered over by all the destructive, damaging and hurtful events of life.
So, joy isn't an effect of laughter, it's actually the source.
It is not a function of circumstances or of your mental state. It transcends all of the outward 'stuff' and is your real identity; often our identity is attached to other things. "I'm a loser/musician/architect/... [fill in with a zillion other things]"
"I have experienced loss/I play music/I build wonderful buildings..." changes your viewpoint.
Let joy transform your day - and just laugh!
The deliberate act of laughing produces positive effects even if you don't feel like it.
The body doesn't know the difference and starts to produce the beneficial chemicals after less than a minute. Even just smiling starts to affect the body.
Most people know that 'Laughter is the best medicine', and it is true!