If you want to live longer, try laughing more often.
The oldest magazine, Readers Digest, got it right when they decided to include a section of funny stories and title the section’ Laughter Is The Best Medicine’, and it truly is the best for whatever ails you.
Perhaps the section designed to make readers laugh has increased the longevity of this print publication.
Laughter is a normal response to certain stimuli that we deem to be funny, and each individual finds different things to be funny.
Whatever you deem to be funny, whether it’s a comedy program, the funnies in the local newspaper, telling jokes or watching a clip on YouTube, find a way to incorporate that into your daily life so you can laugh more often and increase your lifespan.
Laughter Studies
Women with a strong sense of humor live longer, according to a recent study conducted by Norwegian researchers.
The death rate from all causes is reduced by almost half in women who have a strong sense of humor and engage in regular laughter.
The death rate was also reduced in men who have a strong sense of humor, but only in the instance of infection-related death.
Another study conducted by doctors at the Moriguchi-Keijinkai Hospital in Japan revealed that if you want to live longer, you need to laugh more.
The study showed that laughter, humor, and happiness play key roles in good health and longevity, and reduce instances of high blood pressure, flu, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes.
Nurses in some hospitals are now being encouraged to attend laughter workshops not only to help them laugh more and reduce job-related stress but also to make the hospital stays a more pleasant experience for patients and promote faster recovery time.
The National Cancer Institute uses laughter therapy to help patients who are undergoing cancer treatments to increase recovery and longevity.
Laughter is used to relieve pain, reduce stress and promote relaxation for the entire body.
Laughter workshops are quickly becoming part of routine therapy for a wide range of physical conditions and are often combined with exercise, like yoga, to help promote deep breathing.
Studies have shown that laughter works as a distraction from physical pain caused by cancer treatment, arthritis, and other painful diseases.
Diseases symptoms and recovery times are also reduced when the patient laughs regularly. A good belly laugh strengthens the immune system so the body is better able to fend off diseases that will ultimately increase life span.
Types of Laughter
Parents of a newborn baby quickly learn that their new baby has different cries and what each cry means.
Just as there are different types of cries, so are there different types of laughter.
Parents learn the meaning of their child’s different cries, even the difference in their tone of voice when they call out ‘Mom’ or ‘Dad.’
But the way children laugh is rarely given a second thought and that carries over into adulthood.
Parents are glad their children are laughing instead of crying, so the reason behind it and the type is rarely given a second thought.
However, there are at least 10 different types of laughter, and each one has a unique purpose in life and will add to longevity.
Belly Laughter
We’re all familiar with this type of laughter – it’s the genuine and spontaneous laugh that occurs when we find something funny.
This type of laughter reduces stress and melts away anxiety. People often remark after a good belly laugh how much they needed that laugh.
Closed-Lip Laughter
This is the type of laughter we engage in when some minor infraction happens to someone we know.
Like if a co-worker gets caught outside in the rain 2 minutes after you made it safe and dry inside the office building or if you’re walking with a friend and they get doused with bird poop and you don’t.
It’s an amusing situation that happens to someone else yet you want to maintain dignity, so you laugh with your lips closed.
Contagious Laughter
This is the type of laughter that occurs because we hear someone else laughing. We don’t have to hear or see anything funny, just hearing someone else laugh, makes us laugh too.
Canned Laughter
This is the type of laughter used by the entertainment industry and added at certain times to television shows, movies or soundtracks.
It’s real laughter from people that’s been recorded and added at certain times during a recording to induce laughter from the audience.
Canned laughter makes laughing sociable even when we’re watching a program alone.
Cruel Laughter
This is the type of laughter that occurs when someone gets hurt. Motherly advice always warned us that it’s not nice to laugh at others, yet we indulge in it at times.
When we see someone’s pants rip open, or see someone fall or walk into a glass door, our first response is cruel laughter.
Etiquette Laughter
This is the type of laughter we do to get along with other people, especially those in authority over us.
When the boss says something that we don’t find funny, yet we laugh anyway.
We also use etiquette laughter during conversations with people we want to get along with, hoping we become closer to.
Nervous Laughter
When we find ourselves in a situation that makes us anxious or nervous, we subconsciously try to soothe ourselves by laughing. Nervous laughter occurs at inappropriate moments, like at a funeral or during a formal job interview.
Silent Laughter
This is the type of laughter we engage in when we find something to be amusing but we don’t want to awaken a sleeping baby or disturb an office mate by laughing out loud.
Silent laughter involves the same breathing techniques as a belly laugh and will reduce stress.
Stress-Reducing Laughter
Stress is a part of everyday life and can be reduced better with laughter than with a pill or drink.
Stress-reducing laughter increases longevity by helping to relieve tension in the muscles.
Stress-reducing laughter occurs when things are going wrong in succession during the day and your body responds with an outburst of laughter instead of an outburst of tears.
When you’re having a morning of burned toast, no clean clothes, a flat tire, screaming kids and a sick dog, stop for a moment and laugh at the situation.
It will reduce your stress, help you re-focus and increase longevity.
Snorting Laughter
This type of laughter occurs when air is sucked in through the nose instead of the mouth during times when you find something funny.
If you’re prone to snorting laughter, be careful not to eat or drink when watching a funny video or you may end up blowing food or drink out of your nose.
Conclusion
Whatever is going on in your life, find something to laugh about every day. The laughter will improve your day and add days to your life.
From Visually.
Sources:
