Why do people need laughter

It connects, bonds, and builds rapport. Laughter is an expression of auction. It's a way to love people by helping them to smile, laugh, experience a sense of connectedness, and feel better about themselves and about life. Laughter is a coping mechanism. Laughter can help us to get through the tough times. As Bill Cosby says, "If you can find laughter in anything, you can survive it. Laughter increases our rapport with others. This has professional implications. Compliance increases when we have established rapport with someone.

Laughing further releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals our bodies produce to make us feel happy and even relieve pain or stress.

The act of increasing and then decreasing our heart rate and blood pressure through laughter is also ultimately calming and tension-relieving. Laughter can even boost our immune system response through the release of stress-and illness-reducing neuropeptides. So laughter signals cooperation, a key aspect of human survival, and promotes a healthier body to boot. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American.

Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Discover World-Changing Science. So, the ubiquitous nature of laughter suggests that it must serve a purpose, but what? Why do we laugh? Here are a few scientific reasons Laughter clearly serves a social function.

Is Astrology Real? Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism. According to a small study, laughing may increase the number of natural killer cells in your body, which are white blood cells that play an important role in defending against viruses and bacteria. The benefits of laughter may be a decent mini-workout, as well. A small study recorded the heart rate of 45 participants who watched minute comedy clips. The Mayo Clinic supports the idea that practicing laughter may feel forced at first, but it can still make a difference in reducing stress.

Here are some methods to try that could help you laugh more:. Laughter yoga: One way to incorporate more laughter into everyday life is through laughter yoga. This form of yoga consists of prolonged voluntary laughing, clapping, and deep abdominal breathing techniques. A small article found laughter yoga effectively decreased anxiety and stress and improved mood.

Hang out with funny friends: Since laughter is important for building social relationships, Lagoy advises sticking with funny and playful friends while avoiding individuals who are often negative or toxic. Check out comedy: For those who prefer their alone time, turning on your favorite sitcom, reading a funny comic, or watching funny cat videos can also improve mood, as well as boost energy and laughter.

Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself: It may also help to laugh at yourself. Romanoff says that people tend to suppress their laughter in public due to fears of feeling foolish or judged. One way to train yourself to laugh is to put yourself in the mindset of a child, advises Lagoy. There are many ways to reap the benefits of laughter, whether you're by yourself or with others. Is laughter the best medicine? While Lagoy does not consider laughter a cure-all, he says that laughing's effect on health still makes it worthwhile.

Romanoff agrees: "Laughter has been found to have a strong impact on resilience, the tolerance of physical and emotional pain, blood pressure, and illness symptoms," she says. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation.