Indore: Humour is infectious. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases intimacy and happiness. Celebrating the joy of being alive and the miracles of laughter, World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May every year around the world. Hundreds of people (oftentimes thousands) gather worldwide on that day to laugh together. The first ‘World Laughter Day’ gathering took place in Mumbai, India, on 11th of January 1998. 12,000 members from local and international Laughter Clubs joined together in a mega laughter session.
While it might sound like just another day to laugh and live, it is also a day that reminds us of various benefits of laughter.
Laughter has proven not only helpful in improving mental health and life’s experience, it is known for many other benefits. Laughter, happiness and a sense of humour actually can help you to stay healthy. Research conducted by American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that laughter can decrease stress hormones, reduce artery inflammation and increase HDL, the “good” cholesterol.
Laughing is just not supportive of mental but also aerobic health, as found in a research conducted by Georgia State University. Talking about laughter with renowned artists, cardiologist and some laughter bombs, we bring you these treats for celebrating the day.
Stress as bad as drugs for heart, laughter is medicine
Most people talk about physical fitness whenever they talk about heart’s health, but studies have shown that happiness plays a bigger role in heart’s health. Smoking and drugs are bad for health and it is common knowledge. Similarly, stress, negativity and anger are worse for health, especially heart’s health.
Most people multiply their problems by exaggerating and misunderstanding them in their mind, like every chest pain is mistaken as heart attack. We need to take some chill pills and celebrate life with laughter, rest everything falls into place.
n Cardiologist Dr Bharat Rawat
Laugh blankly, art heals
No matter what, when we laugh, everything around us becomes prettier and lively. I always laugh even on a sad day. It is normal for us to feel bad if something does not go our way, but being stuck at that point starts a negative chain. Whenever I cannot laugh, I picked up a blank sheet, look at it and laugh for no reason. Once, I laugh and continue to laugh, painting the sheet heals me from every pain.
n Artist Shubha Vaidya
Dance negativity out
No matter how many ups and downs we have in life, we need to find a way to laugh it out. If we fail to laugh at our pains, then it becomes very difficult to be alive. Whenever I cannot laugh, I dance and burn out all the negativity. At the end of workout, I am tired and laughing always. Laughter works and the positive chain begins.
n Fitness instructor Aarti Maheshwari
