How laughter improves wellbeing.

Laughter is universal, recognised across cultures and is in fact not only well observed in humans but also in mammals. Primates and rats enjoy a good giggle when tickled too!

Laughter is associated with fun and play, and happens more when you are interacting socially with other people.

Think about the sounds that people make when they laugh!

Laughter can take us to some pretty odd places in terms of making noises.

But more than sound, laughter is physical. Facial muscles are activated, your eyes, head and shoulders move in complex, and sometimes uncontrollable ways.

Multiple regions of the brain are also firing when you laugh including the area which controls muscles (motor cortex), the area that help you understand context (frontal lobe) and areas that attunes positive emotions (limbic system).

Firing all these regions with laughter is found to strengthen neural connections,improve your mood and outlook, and build resilience and creative problem solving.

Laughing swap cortisol (stress hormone) in your bloodstream with highly sought after dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. Creating feelings of pleasure and happiness, relatedness and connection, and relaxation and optimisim.

Linguist Don Nilsen points out that laughter begins early in life. Infants’ laughter is an external sign of pleasure and communication that helps strengthen an infants bonds with their parents and caregivers.

As we grow, laughter is an external sign and communication of shared appreciation and closeness.

It’s a really ancient behavior which helps us regulate how we feel and makes us feel better.

So what makes you laugh?

Can you allow yourself to enjoy some fun and play, and give your body and mind good workout?