Side Note: This is an old blog post that was originally published on another domain of mine that I later deleted. The original date of this post was somewhere around the year 2011 or thereabouts. Yeah, it was about 13 or 14 years ago, but this is an evergreen topic evidently, as it is still relevant, even in today's world. Anyway, back to the subject at hand...
In today’s cyberworld that is full of cell phone texting, instant messaging (IM), and so on, abbreviations & slang is definitely “in.” For example, the famous ‘LOL’ (laugh/laughing out loud) and ‘LMAO’ (laughing my a*s off) are quite commonly seen all over forums, blogs, texts, in comment fields, et cetera. But are you really? If you’re actually displaying mirth and joy at the other end of the conversation, having explosive laughs, or even merely chuckling in a mild fashion, it is all good for your health.
I’m sure most people realize that being happy is an obvious forward step towards an overall state of well-being, but I’m going to show some evidence – from the scientific side of things……
Laughter reduces the level of epinephrine, cortisol and adrenaline, which are all stress hormones in the body. These silly bursts of expressions also raise your levels of healthy hormones, neurotransmitters, and endorphins. Studies have linked laughing to an increased immune system (antibodies, t-cells, etc.), which helps combat disease and sickness.
Due to the relaxing effects and positive hormonal impact within the body by performing the “LOL,” it can improve memory and overall cognitive ability, lower blood pressure, and protect against heart disease. Also, while being relaxed from your bouts of “laughing out loud,” the blood vessels often dilate and this increases blood circulation, which is always a good thing.
There is also something about the way you feel, after you’ve had a lot of humorous moments within a short time span… Have you ever noticed that calm, warm feeling, like your body has expelled pent-up stress or frustrations, immediately after you fell out of your chair from laughing so hard at some of the morons online? Ha-ha! Okay, you don’t have to fall out of your chair, nor do you have to laugh at moronic beings, but it can happen when you visit too many random, online forums & blogs throughout cyberspace. LOL! Excuse me, I got sidetracked… Anyway, this particular release from laughing seems to affect the body in both physical and mental ways.
Some studies have favored the notion that laughter may help increase the pain resistance level in the body, but more research needs to be done. Personally, I don’t think any research needs to be done. It is pretty obvious, like I said before, that being happy (even if it’s just in spurts) is always going to have health benefits.
Laughing is an attribute geared towards the betterment of mental health, as it can help rid yourself of depression or from feeling down and/or enhance your current state of joviality. And, for the temporarily detached individuals out there, a good laugh can bring back your feelings of being a part of something worth living for, something worthy of being an onlooker, if you will.
When arguing with others, finding something humorous amid the turmoil, can often end up being a common viewpoint between the two (or more) at verbal war. This, in return, can change the tempo and often ends the whole conflict, as the parties agree on the reason of laughter. This peacekeeping method of invoking laughs, however, may not apply to Religious & Political debates, because some of those characters wouldn’t know the jest of a joke if it slapped ’em in the face. LOL!
On a physical health note: The act of laughing out loud is good for your heart, lungs, and abdominal muscles; this especially applies to those hard-to-stop, laughable break outs from insane, ludicrous realizations of asininities.
With all that being said: If it’s at all possible, try to find some humor in your life. There are plenty of foolish, absurd things and imbecilic, doltish beings out there to laugh at, trust me. And also, try to not always take life so seriously; being uptight with restrictive thoughts, may shorten your life in the long run. If your life permits, do as the convivial, trite phrase states: “Eat, drink, and be merry!” I just realized; this is the most happy-happy, joy-joy page I’ve ever written. Okay, I’m rushing to go vomit in a toilet now… LOL! Just kidding…
Image Credit: perpendicularity.org/blog/ [link is no longer active]
---End of Post "Health Benefits of Laughing - Laugh Out Loud - LOL!"
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