Ho Ho, Ha Ha Ha is the universal sound of laughter, but little did I know the tremendous benefits these sounds carry until I attended my first laughter session on one Wednesday afternoon, during the quarantine in 2020. Not only did I have the luxury of time and curiosity to know what happens in a laughter session, but I was also saturated with the number of business webinars offered at the time which carried more serious vibes and could have triggered a burnt-out.
I decided to give laughter a try!
Forty-five minutes later, there was something different, a shift happened, I was in a good mood; I felt lighter, more energetic, more focused, and grounded. These pleasant emotions and the state of being I was in, inspired me to do more research and deepen my knowledge on laughter, I wanted more people to feel what I felt on that day; hence I trained to become one of the very few laughter wellness leaders in the Middle East.
During my training, I learned that we all experience unforced genuine laughter that is often a response to a stimulus like a joke or a stand-up comedy show. Most often, it is associated with a good mood. I am in a good mood, therefore I laugh!
The other type of laughter I learned about was self-induced laughter, it is a simulated one and a good mood is not a prerequisite. Surprisingly, what both have in common is that they have the same effect on our bodies because the mind does not differentiate between genuine laughter and induced one.
The sense of wellbeing you experience when you laugh comes from the release of ‘feel-good hormones’ called endorphins which can improve your state of being immediately, and if you are in a good state of being you perform at your best in every sphere of life.
Numerous scientific research has been conducted on laughter that has proven it has incredibly positive effects on physical, psychological, and emotional health. Luckily, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.
Laughter can:
- Elevates the mood within minutes by releasing endorphins from your brain cells.
- Reduces stress and strengthens the immune system. A strong immune system will protect you from falling sick, and also help heal you faster if you have a certain chronic health condition.
- Increase productivity by increasing the net supply of oxygen to our body and brain which helps to improve efficiency and performance.
- Social connector: laughter is a great connector of people and brings lots of good friends with caring and sharing relationships.
In conclusion, laughter has so many short and long-term effects, it’s yet another tool that helps us move through challenges, and it provides strength in adversity, a coping mechanism to help people keep a positive mental attitude regardless of circumstances.
What are you waiting for? Start Looking for a laughter workshop around your area.
