Less stress, more laughs

April is national stress awareness month. Stress can affect your body, thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Being able to recognize common symptoms of stress can help you manage them. Stress that's left unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Common symptoms of stress to watch for include: headache, fatigue, upset stomach, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, changes in diet, social withdrawal, increased use of tobacco/alcohol, and feeling overwhelmed/unmotivated, along with many others.

A fun way to help yourself and those around you cope with stress is through the power of laughter. Not only does laughing put a smile on your face, but it has more health benefits than you may think. Laughing has been shown to improve mental health and may even help your physical health.

Some benefits of laughter include:

• Helps keep your heart healthy. Laughter helps increase blood flow and improves how your blood vessels function. It also helps decrease stress, which has a positive effect on heart health.
• Boosts your immune system. Laughter helps trigger the release of tension in your muscles, releases endorphins, reduces blood sugar, and decreases stress hormones. This can help strengthen your immune system, which lowers your risk of getting sick.
• Improves your mood. Laughter can help you turn a bad mood around with ease. People who experience anxiety or depression often find that laughter helps lighten their mood and increases happiness.

There are ways you can help promote less stress and more laughter in your everyday life, and one of the easiest things to do is to smile. Smiles are contagious, and every laugh begins with a smile. Another thing to focus on is surrounding yourself with positive and caring people. Lastly, have a funny joke or two ready to share to brighten someone else’s day. Remember, smiles and laughs are contagious.

Heard the phrase, “laughter is the best medicine?” It may not be a cure, but it sure sounds nice, and can’t hurt to try.