Laughter is the Best Medicine and Smiles are the Cure

It is felt that laughter plays a very important role in our emotional and physical health. Some of the effects of laughter are obvious.  But what about the more subtle effects.  I am such a fan of laughter that I wrote about it in a guest post over at my friend Al Smith’s blog , The CARE Movement, not too long ago.  If you click here, you can see what I said.  Today, though, I want to share with you some of the subtle and not so subtle effects of laughter.

• Contagious:  If you are going to spread something my way, please let it be laughter.  The contagious nature of laughter is something that I am pretty sure, most of us want to “catch”.  Sometimes we will join friends in laughter having no idea as to what we are laughing about…the laughter was just that contagious.  Pretty powerful!
• Tension Reducer:  In those uncomfortably tense situations that we find ourselves in occasionally, finding humor and evoking laughter can really offset the tension.  There is nothing like a little levity to diffuse a sticky situation.
• Endorphin Release: We know that the level of endorphin release increases with laughter and helps to create positive feelings that can even help in reducing responses to pain.
• Mood Enhancement: Laughter brings with it an overall sense of well being that works as a natural mood enhancer
• Immune Response:  Laughter is thought to be able to decrease the stress hormones and concomitantly increase the release of the  good immune cells which can decrease our chances of illness and increase our ability to heal.
• Increases Sense of Self:  Laughter is a unifier.  It can help you feel more relaxed socially and more able to be yourself.  It’s inherent tension reducing capability reduces the fear of being judged and allows more freedom of expression.

So, what can you do to increase the presence of laughter in your life?

• Surround yourself with positive people.
• Give yourself a laughter challenge and initiate the laughter yourself.
• Find activities that make you happy.
• Try to find the humor in situations.
• Be mindful of utilizing laughter therapy in your life.
• Take diligent care of your health.
• Be proactive in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

We are Family Dental Care Park Ridge can help bring smiles and laughter to your life.  As dentists that are experienced in cosmetic dentistry, we offer many options that will accentuate your beautiful smile so that when spontaneous laughter erupts, you are confident and proud of your teeth!  If you have concerns about the appearance of your teeth, give us a call and set up a time to meet with Dr. Carolyn Demas or Dr. Matt Demas.  They can work together with you to help make you feel good about your smile.

Remember, laughter definitely IS the best medicine!

And, as always…we LOVE making you smile!