Is it possible to laugh your way to a longer life? According to a newly released Norwegian study that chronicled the lives of nearly 55,000 subjects over a course of seven years, people who easily find humor in everyday life are likely to live longer than their somber counterparts.
This should come as no surprise considering that other brief, relaxing activities that can be effortlessly incorporated into a typical day, such as listening to music or taking a leisurely stroll, are effective stress busters. Furthermore, trial after trial has overwhelmingly linked reduced tension to a longer life.
So finally it appears that there is strong empirical evidence to suggest that people need to just smile and let go of petty agitations. After all, to a degree, their very lives may depend on it.
How could something as simple as laughing really have such a profound effect? Well, physiologically speaking, the study's conclusion makes perfectly logical sense. Laughter releases endorphins and disease-fighting proteins along with oxygen, all of which contribute to a sense of emotional and physical well-being.
This connection between light-heartedness and wellness yields a lower resting heart rate, lower blood pressure and improvement in brain functioning. Over the long run, this equates to reduced chances of developing stress related aliments like heart disease, heart attack and strokes. Open and shut case, right?
Although the physical side of this longevity phenomenon is compelling, maybe there is something more contributing to it. Laughing at difficult situations could possibly contribute to increasing life span for other reasons. A change in perspective can open the door to myriad possibilities.
Learning to find amusement in seemingly inopportune places can have a greater effect on life views. Overall, it is easier to have rigid, critical sets of standards and categorizations to make sense of life. That is how flagrant injustice has continued to be a potent force since the beginning of humanity.
However, laughing about things helps us to see things for what they truly are, instead of labeling them. As a result, destructive confines that seek to categorize everything as black or white, good or bad, are weakened.
For instance, rather than thinking that a person acted purely because he or she is a ""self-centered"" or otherwise ""bad"" person, one can see actions are usually a result of various factors, often in conflict with one another.
Upon this realization, a heavy weight is relieved on the mind. The more a person recognizes the potential for a variety of causes leading to a single effect, the more likely he or she is to find humor in those circumstances.
Additionally, discovering hilarity in hard times develops a mental skill that is vital to overall survival—taking a disadvantage and making it an advantage. If one is able to see the absurdity in normalcy, then it may also help a person to see a challenge as an opportunity, rather than slipping into the quagmire of despondence.
By looking at issues from a different perspective, it makes the person more adaptable. Moreover, in purely evolutionary terms, those who succeed in life are usually those who are most flexible when confronted with challenging complexity.
Finally, in empirical terms of this study, it is true that correlation does not amount to causation, so it potentially could be wrong. However, even if its conclusion is incorrect and the physical components of well-being are not assisted via humor, mental agility and a sense of humor are still integral assets to living a vibrant and full life. At least life is more entertaining after all.
Ultimately, embarrassing, uncomfortable or stressful situations can be hilarious with time, patience and a change in perspective, all of which are conducive to taking pleasure in the simple things in life.
