Here at Balance for Life, a holistic health retreat in Florida, some of our team members have gotten creative with their face masks recently. When we connect online for a virtual meeting or a gathering around the virtual water cooler, they’ll show them off, which often makes us smile, if not laugh out loud. And that’s good for our health and our hearts.
We look forward to welcoming you when it is safe to do so (we will get there!), but for now, we hope you remember that you don’t have to be on a retreat in Florida to do something that will have a positive impact on your health and wellness. Find something – or someone – that can make you laugh. Laughing may not be the very best medicine, but it sure is a great way to enhance your health and wellbeing.
The Health Benefits of Laughing
“Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that’s no joke,” the clever folks at the Mayo Clinic say. “Whether you’re guffawing at a sitcom on TV or quietly giggling at a newspaper cartoon, laughing does you good.”
In fact, there is a growing amount of research indicating that having a good laugh can be an important aspect of your wellness journey.
“A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body,” the experts at the Mayo Clinic explain. “Laughter isn’t just a quick pick-me-up, though. It’s also good for you over the long term.”
Laughter has the ability to give your immune system a boost, which is good to know in the age of the coronavirus. “Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses,” the Mayo Clinic explains.
According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter may also:
- Stimulate some of your organs, including your heart, lungs and muscles (so when someone says that laughing at something did their heart good, they aren’t kidding!)
- Increase endorphins in your brain
- Make you feel more relaxed
- Enhance circulation and relax tense muscles
- Relieve pain
We can’t welcome you to Florida for a wellness vacation right now, but we can share information with you that can help you stay healthy and happy during these difficult times.
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