Global Belly Laugh Day: LOL! A day to take laughter seriously

Global Belly Laugh Day is celebrated every year on January 24. It is a day for having a good, deep chuckle at anything at all! Global Belly Laugh Day was created by Elaine Helle in June 2005.

Global Belly Laugh Day is about finding what is funny for each person, and also trying to share in the joy. This is the day to get some of your hardest, longest, goofiest laughs out with family and friends.

Whether it’s reading from a joke of the day calendar or seeing something funny on the internet, getting in a good laugh each day is an excellent practice. But there is one day out of the year that it’s extra important to practice that type of laughter that comes from deep down. It’s Global Belly Laugh Day!

Let's learn some lesser-known facts about laughter. LOL!

Do You Know?

Laughter has presumably been around since the very first human beings were on the earth.

Laughter can be a response to either external or internal stimuli.

Scientists have found that laughter is an important part of human communication and relationships.

The discipline of science that studies laughter is called gelotology.

A belly laugh is something beyond a mere giggle or chuckle, as it is considered to be a loud, hearty laugh that is sometimes uncontrollable.

There is a special form of yoga called Hasyayoga, or laughter yoga. It is a practice that involves voluntary, intentional laughter, even if there isn’t necessarily something funny happening.

One can form laughter clubs, where participants intentionally laugh together, producing a sense of playfulness and well-being.

Health Benefits

Laughter stimulates the body to produce its own painkillers. It has an analgesic effect on the body when endorphins are released which increases the pain threshold.

Laughter reduces stress, creates a feeling of relaxation, and soothes tension.

It improves the mood and creates a general sense of well-being and happiness.

Laughter helps improve the immune system. Laughter and good thoughts enhance the neuropeptides that shield the body against illness and disease, whereas negative thoughts have a tendency to materialise into chemicals that operate against the body.

It can cause the tissue lining in the blood vessels to expand and therefore increase blood flow, which makes a person healthier.

So what are you waiting for, Laugh your heart out! As we all know laughter is the best medicine.