Enda Junkins is a national expert on laughter in therapy, using it to help her clients move through painful issues. She claims that we laugh when we hurt, and laughter heals. According to Enda, laughter is "the body's natural physiological process that releases the painful emotions of anger, fear and boredom." Therefore, we must laugh if we want to heal.
Enda explained the difference between laughter and humor to Bored Panda. The first one, according to her, is necessary for us. The second, she claims, can sometimes hurt us. "I believe laughter as opposed to humor is the important thing for healing emotional and even physical issues," she tells us. "Humor is just one trigger for laughter of which there are many."
"Humor can be harmful if one is not careful," Enda says. What does that mean, exactly? "A lot of humor puts various groups or people down, which is not helpful. There is, however, a great deal of humorous things happening in our daily lives if we tune in and there is certainly an important place for clever wit which all can enjoy."
"Laughter itself is a biological process that releases feelings of anger and anxiety. It is the body's natural solution for the release of those feelings and the more we laugh, the healthier we are," Jenkins explains.
Scientists have proven the benefits of laughter in minimizing stress and anxiety. We probably already know that laughter increases endorphins released by our brain. But laughter also stimulates our organs: heart, lungs, and muscles.
What's that relaxed feeling we get after having a good laugh? That's because your heart rate and blood pressure increase and decrease as you're having a laughing fit. Laughter can also help us relax the tension in our muscles. For example, if you've been bent over your laptop for a long period of time, a good laugh can break some of that tension in your neck and shoulders.
What about self-deprecating humor? Can it help us feel better or does it only bum us out more? Enda Junkins says that it can help put things in perspective. "We tend to have issues in our face and when we can laugh about them they seem more like something we can cope with. An important thing to know is that laughter does not change our issues, it changes how we relate to them," Junkins points out.
Did you know laughter has long-term benefits for us too? When we're having negative thoughts, they translate to chemical reactions in our bodies, bringing more stress into our systems. That decreases our immunity. But laughter and positive thoughts release neuropeptides and fight stress, potentially warding off some serious illnesses.
Overall, laughter just increases our mood. When we're happier, we have better self-esteem, make friends easier, and cope with difficult situations better. Endorphins are the body's natural pain relievers, so they can help mask minor aches and cramps. Truly, laughter is the best medicine!
