WHY LAUGH? BECAUSE IT IS GOOD FOR YOU!

Seeing the humor in life doesn’t only improve your mood and make things seem better. Laughing and seeking out the lighter side of life is measurably good for you both physically and mentally, according to several research studies. Laughing may even lead to a longer life, according to a 2010 study published in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine.

A roundup of studies reviewed in The Atlantic in June 2014 points
strongly to laughter’s therapeutic qualities. Research has shown that laughter can make a major dent in depression for the elderly. Along those lines, people who watched a funny movie after surgery asked for less pain medication. Laughing even has been shown to improve lung function for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to reduce arterial wall stiffness, as found in cardiovascular disease. So go ahead – rent comedies, read books that
make you laugh, and find the funny!