“Your body cannot heal without play. Your mind cannot heal without laughter. Your soul cannot heal without joy.” – Catherine Rippenger Fenwick
- Laughter releases endogenous opioids (endorphins)
- Laughter is contagious and promotes social bonding
- Laughter promotes brain stimulation.
- Different brain regions are activated to decipher how we perceive the laughter (e.g. joyous versus taunting).
- Laughter synchronizes the brains of speaker and listener so that they are emotionally attuned.
- Laughing activates the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
- Research has shown that laughter has an anti-inflammatory effect that protects blood vessels and heart muscles from the damaging impacts of cardiovascular disease.
- Laughter reduces pain and reduces blood sugar levels.
How to Laugh More – 22 Ways to Bring More Laughter Into Your Life (daringtolivefully.com)
Proposed questions for thought or sharing:
1. How have you increased laughter in your life and how have those changes supported your recovery/wellness?
2. What are your challenges with laughter? Any ideas for the future?
Next Week:
Gratitude: The Power of Stories
Disclaimer
This summary is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed.
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