HO HO HO! Why Laughing is good for you
We all enjoy a good laugh and at this time of year there can be quite a lot of it about, unless you are the Bah Humbug type, Christmas usually helps to increase the giggles and it’s not just a consequence of the odd tipple or two! I completely understand that it can be traumatic and very emotional for some, have a look through the archives for my How to Cope at Christmas blog.
But for this blog I want to focus on the belly laugh, the chortle, the ho ho ho’s and find out if laughing is actually good for our ‘elf (sorry!)
Children can laugh as much as 40 times a day; you will have all seen how a baby can crack up over something as simple as peek a boo but us miserable adults grow up and lose our sense of humour and laugh as little as 15 times a day and for some, I think that’s being generous!
I think that we could all do with a bit more laughing in our lives; it’s one of the best feelings ever, it’s very contagious and can bring people together, but, it’s not only great for us socially it really does have health benefits:
- It helps with stress management
Laughing reduces stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and dopamine, these hormones can all have a negative effect on our health if they are present in the body over long periods of time. - It’s a workout!
When you have a really good belly laugh your diaphragm gets a workout session, your abs contract and expand, similar to when you are focusing on ab exercises and depending on your laughing technique, your shoulders are worked out too! So, if you can’t get to the gym over the Christmas break have a good laugh to keep those abs tight instead! - Improves your cardiac health
Laughter gets your heart pumping and burns a similar amount of calories per hour as walking at a slow to moderate pace, walk and laugh and well, you’re laughing! - Boosts T-Cells
T – cells are our super-hero specialist immune system cells that are waiting for activation, when you laugh you activate them to spring into action and fight infection. So, next time you feel a sniffle coming on don’t reach for the cold relief meds; watch a comedy show instead! - Releases endorphins
These are our feel good hormones which can help with pain relief and make you feel good! - Promotes a general sense of well-being
Research has shown the people with a positive outlook on life tend to fight disease better than people who are negative, so the key to a long life could be to laugh more!
These are all great reason to smiling more and so I thought I’d help you on your way to a happier healthier you by sharing with you my favourite Christmas cracker jokes…
What happened to the man who stole an advent calendar?
He got 25 days
What is the best Christmas present?
A broken drum, you can't beat it!
Why are pirates called pirates?
Because they arrrrrrr!
What’s round and bad tempered?
A vicious circle
Why is it getting harder to buy Advent calendars?
Their days are numbered!
Kim Jong Un will play Santa this year in the South’s annual pantomime...
He said he fancied a Korea change!
What goes ha ha ha clonk?
A man laughing his head off!
And, the best ‘till last..
What did the inflatable headmaster say to the inflatable boy who went on a rampage with a pin?
“You’ve let me down, you’ve let the school down but worst of all, you’ve let yourself down”
“Happy” Christmas everyone, have a laugh with family and friends, seek out the comedy shows on TV but make sure you avoid the Soap Operas at all costs because they are guaranteed to undo all the benefits of the laughing, happy hormones in 30 minutes!!
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