As Zarathustra said, a person should laugh ten times a day so that his stomach does not bother him at night. The healing power of laughter has been known since ancient times. Laughter therapy continues to gain popularity around the world. So, in France there is even a school of laughter therapy and clubs for laughter lovers. Members of these clubs laugh in close circles at their illnesses and do everything to spread laughter to the masses.

A fun cure for depression

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How do people learn to laugh?

All people in this world know how to smile and laugh. And they learn this in the same way as the ability to speak. During the first 4-8 weeks of life, the baby learns to laugh by looking into his mother’s eyes. By the end of the first month, the child is already smiling, and at the age of 2-3 months he laughs loudly. A six-year-old child laughs about 300 times a day. As you get older, the number of smiles decreases. A person adapts to the behavior of those around him, and the number of smiles of a grown-up citizen depends on whether they are cheerful or serious people. On average, people smile about 15 times a day. Many scientists believe that not enough laughter is one of the causes of health problems.

One more thing to note: laughter comes in different forms. This is a good laugh or a poisonous one, joyful or sad, stupid and smart, scared or hysterical, cynical and modest. Obviously, not every type of laughter has a positive effect on health. Studying the influence of different types of laughter on well-being is material for further research.

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Laughter therapy for stress relief

During the process of laughter, about 80 muscle groups contract, body temperature rises, and blood pressure changes. At the same time, the brain receives a healthy portion of beta-endorphins - happiness hormones. The immune system experiences the most powerful impact. If a person bursts into laughter, the number of cells in his body that kill viruses, and, according to some data, cancer cells increases. Laughter creates a kind of “safety valve” in the body, which blocks the path to cortisone and adrenaline - stress hormones. When laughing, internal organs are well massaged, especially the intestines. No one will argue with the statement that laughter is a powerful emotional and energetic surge.

It has been proven that laughter improves the quality of life and helps increase its duration. After watching a funny video, depression decreases by 98%, and 87% of fatigue disappears. According to research, optimists are characterized by increased resistance to infectious diseases.

Saturday Revue editor-in-chief Norman Cousins ​​was cured more than 30 years ago by laughter alone from an autoimmune disease that affects the entire body - collagenosis. Having read that negative emotions can suppress the activity of the endocrine system, Norman concluded that positive emotions stimulate her work, which means laughter and positivity can help him recover. And I was not mistaken!

Modern scientists are sure: positive-minded people get sick much less often than pessimists, and if they do have illnesses, they tolerate them much easier. After all, lymphocytes, which protect us from viruses and infections, are activated during laughter.

Joy, as you know, makes you smile. But the opposite reaction has also been proven: smiling at a reflex level stimulates the production of endorphins - the hormones of joy.

Don't have time for proper rest and auto-training? Dedicate 5 minutes a day to watching funny photos or videos. By the way, these 5 minutes of laughter will replace 40 minutes of rest. So it's worth laughing if you haven't had enough sleep. This way you will relax 80 muscle groups and give them complete rest.

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Laughter therapy and beauty

People who laugh often look very good. Almost all facial muscles are involved in the process of laughter. Even muscles that are rarely used compared to others contract. Look at the children! How often their facial expression changes! Adults use facial expressions in limited quantities. But in vain! Scientists have noticed a relationship between facial muscle activity and blood flow to the brain. In addition, smiling and friendly woman's face Men like it much more than serious and gloomy.

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Laughter therapy as a branch of medicine

Laughter is a medicine that nature itself has given to humans. However, it does not have side effects and is provided completely free of charge. How does modern medicine use laughter therapy?

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Classic healing laughter therapy

The classes are conducted by a psychologist. They can be both group and individual. People just laugh (tell jokes, funny incidents from life, listen to the infectious laughter of other people, watch comedies).

In some countries, this method is used in the treatment of sexual disorders and the rehabilitation of rape victims. Doctors are confident that laughter has a positive effect on people whose diseases manifest themselves in constant pain. Laughter facilitates healing by improving general state body, reducing pain and increasing resistance to diseases.

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Medical clowning method

Teams of clown doctors work all over the world. It is believed that they laid the foundations of modern laughter therapy in the 70s of the twentieth century. The idea of ​​​​creating a “clown ambulance” was realized by Michael Christensen, the founder of the Boston Circus. When his brother was dying of cancer, he and a group of comrades performed in the hospital in front of sick children. After his brother’s death, Christensen realized that laughter therapy was his life’s work. “Clown ambulance” teams were organized in New York and other hospitals in Boston, and then the idea was picked up in France, Germany, and Brazil. Today in many countries there are associations of clown doctors who work with seriously ill children.

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Laughter yoga for breathing and health

It was developed by doctors in India, combining laughter with breathing exercises. A person is taught to laugh easily, often and naturally. By optimizing breathing while laughing, a person not only improves his mood and overall well-being, but also normalizes arterial pressure and blood supply to internal organs.

The inhalation that is done during laughter is longer and deeper, and the exhalation, on the contrary, is shorter and more intense. It turns out that the lungs are completely freed of air during laughter yoga classes, accelerating gas exchange by 3-4 times.

During the classes, people are introduced to simple lip movements that help get rid of irritability and sadness. Even remembering for a few seconds how you laughed recently, you will significantly improve your mood, even if someone has already ruined it.

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A smile brightens a gloomy day!

Famous English proverb says: “Smile for a minute in the morning and you will smile all day long.” Scientists have found that after watching funny films, a person’s level of irritability decreases several times. The subjects' mood was lifted even by the thought that they would soon be watching a comedy. Two or three days before the scheduled viewing, they were angry, on average, half as often as usual.

“Laughter without reason is a sign of foolishness,” says a famous Russian proverb. We beg to differ. Laughter for no reason is a sign of a good mood. But different people Of course, different things serve as a reason for laughter. What is funny to one is sad to another. Analyze your sense of humor. What makes you happy? Comedy films, humorous films, KVNs, caricatures, videos? Or maybe a particular showman amuses you? Or do your own child's pranks make you laugh? Record all these observations and use them to your advantage. Pull something funny out of your laughter library every day. And remember: laughter is health.

Since about the 70s of the last century, scientists have been engaged in a very serious study of laughter. Then interest in this psychological phenomenon covered the scientific community and the United States. Projects have emerged to study the impact of laughter on our health and well-being. Since that time, the scientific community has accumulated a fair amount of information about the healing properties of laughter. Currently, a huge number of laughter therapy specialists - so-called gelotologists - are being trained in the world.

Long before the research began, we knew that laughter improves our mood and well-being - and not only for the time we were laughing. Sometimes positive consequences funny joke last all day! At the biochemical level, this is due to the intense release of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, as well as endorphins. In addition, laughter is a very useful physical exercise, comparable in its effectiveness only to good aerobic exercise. It uses 80 muscle groups - during uproarious laughter, our shoulders and chest shake, and the diaphragm vibrates. At the same time, the muscles of the neck, back and face relax - and this alone is already enough to relieve, for example, a headache. During laughter, like any physical exercise, your heart rate increases and your cholesterol level decreases. At the same time, people’s breathing quality improves and, accordingly, oxygen consumption and blood supply to the body.

Studies have shown that laughter can save you from almost all diseases - and not just psychological problems or neuroses. It reduces the production of stress hormones, normalizes blood pressure, and improves immunity. Also, according to experts, regular laughter will prevent a heart attack from becoming a victim of a heart attack. There are known cases of curing even cancer with laughter therapy.

After all this, all that remains is to laugh. Alas, most of us need some examples of particularly subtle humor for this. We consider it beneath our dignity to watch low-quality humorous programs. We all know a huge number of jokes, but every joke is a one-time thing. Some people have no sense of humor at all, and even a dozen great comedians gathered in one room will not make him laugh. In such cases, psychotherapists offer laughter for no reason. In our country there is a saying: “Laughter without a reason is a sign of a fool,” but from a medical and psychological point of view it is completely incorrect. The happy ability to smile and laugh, without waiting for any special conditions, has long been considered one of the indicators of mental and physical health. This ability is much more important than the ability to make witty jokes or understand jokes instantly. In Japan, there is a legend about the cheerful Zen monk Hotei, who walked around the villages and laughed so infectiously that everyone around him joined him. And in the end, the whole crowd was engulfed in healing laughter.

A professional laughter therapist will always find an approach to the patient and take measures to ensure that he laughs as much as necessary for his recovery. But if a specialist is not at hand, you can try laughter therapy on your own. Each of us can try to live a fun day by trying to laugh before going to bed, and then early in the morning, right after we wake up. You can achieve the best effect if you start laughing with your eyes closed.

Nowadays, there are laughter therapy exercises, some of which last even three hours. It is difficult to carry out such procedures without a specialist, and besides, they are usually done as part of a course, sometimes even lasting several weeks. In addition to laughter, therapy sometimes also includes causeless, but equally healing crying, as well as rest and introspection, and even dancing.

In our time, full of “stress and passion,” a smile and joyful laughter have become fashionable attributes. healthy image life is like playing sports, proper nutrition and giving up bad habits. In many European countries, laughter centers have already been opened, where people come like they go to fitness clubs. They just teach you to enjoy life: to smile at sunny and cloudy weather, rain and howling wind, the laughter of a baby and the glance of a passerby. And, I must say, not only professional psychotherapists do this. For example, in the USA, “humor” is actively promoted by actor Charles Metcalf (the term belongs to him). He usually begins his seminars with a simple exercise: stand up - sigh - laugh. According to Metcalf, it is very important to recognize the absurdity of the misfortune or failure that has befallen you. In addition, he advises to always keep a clown nose with you and sometimes put it on - in front of a mirror or even in public. According to the actor, this simple exercise will make you much happier than the habit of going to the bar after work.

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Positive psychology 27.09.2015

Dear readers, today I invite everyone to relax a little and talk about laughter therapy. Let's have this pleasant treatment and take our minds off the hustle and bustle of life. He laughs best who... no, does not laugh last. Rather, the one who laughs a lot and often, bringing pleasure not only to his soul, but also to his body. You ask, what does this have to do with the body? It is precisely about Doctor Laughter as a professional physician that we will talk in this article. Well, let’s have fun and heal at the same time!

Probably, many will agree with me that nothing charges you with positivity and cheerfulness more than moments of sincere laughter in the company of friends or family. Admit it, have you noticed what mood you get after watching a good comedy or a funny show? You will laugh heartily, and then for several more hours you will feel elated and feel almost like flying. Great, right?

But it turns out that laughter can be used not only in everyday life and for idle pastime. There is a separate branch of science - laughter therapy, or gelotology, which deals with laughter professionally.

Laughter therapy (gelotology). Laughter therapy is serious!

A little history

The science of laughter and its impact on a person’s physical and mental health - gelotology (from the Greek “gelos” - laughter) - originated in the USA in the 70s of the last century. Introduced her into official medicine American journalist Norman Cousins. Being bedridden, and, according to doctors, without a single chance of recovery, he decided to radically change his lifestyle.

Since Norman didn’t want to just give up and live out his days sadly, he began to have fun: he spent his days watching comedies, listening to jokes and funny stories and laughed uncontrollably. According to sources, after a week his pain stopped, and after another month he was able to move. Soon he began to walk and went to work.

Such an amazing story prompted scientists in Europe and America to direct their attention to studying the phenomenon of laughter and its influence on the human psyche. Gradually, laughter therapy emerged as a separate psychotherapeutic method.

Gelotology has not yet found proper distribution in the post-Soviet space. Also almost absent Scientific research psychological aspect of laughter by domestic scientists. I would like to believe that this is it for now. And the time will come when in our country laughter will finally be taken seriously. However, practicing laughter at home is not at all prohibited and, as you may have guessed, it is very useful, even if this practice is unsystematic.

In addition, hospital clowning is gradually becoming widespread - visits of trained actors or ordinary people to children's hospitals. Funny clowns come to the kids, make them laugh, play with them, thereby easing their condition at least a little. Is this not enough?

An interesting fact is that there is a special branch of yoga – hasya yoga. Followers of this trend happily practice group laughter, combining it with traditional exercises.

Laughter therapy. Benefit for health

Meanwhile, research by foreign scientists has proven excellent health benefits of laughter , extending to both the human psyche and his physical body. Chemically, this effect is explained by the fact that the so-called “hormones of happiness” - endorphins - produced during laughter have a strong beneficial effect on the human immune, respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive systems.
It is our attitude towards life (whether we think positively or only see negativity) that affects our health, including our immunity. Laughter affects the part of the brain that responds to the Joy of Life.

From a psychological point of view , laughter helps release suppressed emotions. Psychologists know how difficult it is to “get close” to such painful feelings for a person as shame, fear, anger. Usually people prefer to hide them, deny them, not notice them. This habit is acquired in childhood light hand parental settings“You can’t cry!”, “It’s a shame to act like that,” “Good children don’t behave so badly!” etc. Over time, former boys and girls turn into adult uncles and aunts who do not allow themselves to be angry, to be angry, to be “uncomfortable”, not like everyone else. Under the cover of laughter, everyone is equal - both the prince and the pauper. A person returns to a carefree childhood, temporarily removing the mask of invulnerability and inviolability. Gradually, tensions and pressures are released from the body, and it literally becomes easier to breathe.

Also, the state of relaxation that follows the release of tension helps you look at the world with wide eyes. In such an even positive state of consciousness, a person becomes more receptive and flexible. By breaking his own attitudes that limit his thinking and worldview, he comes to the ability to introduce novelty into his life and find answers to previously insoluble or complex questions. This can be compared to, for example, going out into the fresh air and suddenly noticing that the limits of the Universe are not limited to your apartment or even the street. But in fact, there are still so many interesting, unknown, desirable things!

Who is laughter therapy suitable for?

What does the cheerful doctor treat? As the experience of the “pioneer” of laughter therapy Norman Cousins ​​shows, Doctor Laughter is capable of working miracles even in seemingly hopeless situations. Of course, no one denies drug treatment, especially in severe cases, but still the experience of foreign countries has shown the ability of gelotology to provide significant assistance in:

• lowering blood pressure;
• reducing stress levels;
• increasing the activity of the body's immune system;
• improving brain function, as well as mood and overall well-being.

That is, it is directly shown patients suffering from depressive conditions, hypertensive patients, people with reduced immunity, and simply those who want to be treated in a fun and easy way. After all, in addition to all the bonuses listed above, laughter unites people, helps them relax and look at their lives in a new way. This means that in certain doses it is indicated for everyone!

What happens at the moment when a person laughs?

• Hyperventilation occurs. They are saturated with oxygen.
• Blood circulation increases.
• The muscles located in the pelvic area work very well.
• The work of the cardiovascular muscle is activated.
• Let's activate the happiness zone. We influence the mood.
• We increase our immunity.

Laughter therapy. results

What will we get by doing this kind of treatment?

• You and I receive the hormone of joy.
• We just relax, have fun and joy.
• We develop self-confidence and a sense of humor.
• We remove the negativity.
• We increase our creative activity.
• We repress stress, get rid of it.

Contraindications for laughter therapy

There is no scientific data on contraindications to this method. Can laughter be harmful? How do you think?

Laughter therapy. Exercises at home

There are many exercises used in laughter therapy. Let's look at the simplest ones that can easily be done at home:

1. In moments of fatigue, read a few jokes and laugh heartily.
2. Try making faces at yourself while standing in front of the mirror.
3. When something annoys you, try to smile and turn your attention to something pleasant.
4. Allow yourself to watch humorous programs and comedies more often.
5. Participate in fun quests, games, friendly gatherings.
6. Take a piece of refined sugar and squeeze it between your teeth without closing your mouth. Now look in the mirror.
7. Listen to a recording of infectious laughter.
8. To get an idea of ​​how laughter therapy classes can take place in groups, watch the video.

Laughter therapy. Video

Some studies show that we laugh less and less: in 1939, the average European laughed an average of 19 minutes a day. Now his son and grandson laugh only 5-6 minutes a day. This is very little. My dear peers, let's get down to business! Our serenity and health depend on it!

Gelotherapy

Laughter therapy has a completely scientific name, but this hardly makes it any more serious! Laughter therapy can be used regardless of age. The most famous technique belongs to Norman Cousins.

This man worked as a journalist until he was struck by a serious illness: severe spondyloarthritis, a form of paralysis considered incurable. But he recovered and became a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he taught at medical college.

Norman Cousins ​​has always been distinguished by his extraordinary love of life. Even when his illness completely weakened him, his desire to fight did not diminish at all. Tired of stuffing himself with anti-inflammatory and painkillers, he decided to take care of his health himself. First, Cousins ​​studied his case carefully. Then, under the supervision of a doctor, he compiled his own treatment regimen: vitamin C in large doses, comedy films and funny stories. He reasoned simply: if stress and negative emotions aggravate destructive processes in the body, then positive emotions, on the contrary, should cause positive chemical changes.

After several comedies and many books with good jokes, he was convinced of the correctness of his reasoning: “I was pleased to discover that 10 minutes of hearty laughter had an anesthetic effect (calmed the pain) and gave at least two hours good sleep" After several years of such treatment, Norman became fully mobile and began playing golf, tennis and even horseback riding.

Of course, this case can be called unique, but it proves that everything is possible in life.

Laughter is a positive communication necessary for harmonious aging; it is the transmission of “waves” from the emitter (the object or person that causes laughter) to the receiver (the one who laughs).

And for laughter to be useful, it is important that it arises under positive circumstances both for the one who causes laughter and for the one who laughs. No one can bring themselves to laugh sincerely, so it is clear how important the mood of the emitter is for the laughter to be healthy and joyful.

Some people seem more gifted than others at the art of causing laughter. They are always in a cheerful mood and are open to others, wanting to convey joy to them, good mood, sympathy. Their behavior is simple and direct, since “those who seek metaphysical causes of laughter do not themselves have a cheerful disposition,” as Voltaire once noted.

The smile of an elderly man, ready to laugh at any second, testifies to his excellent mood, which he can convey to others.

Smile

A smile costs nothing, but brings so much good! It enriches the one who receives it, without impoverishing the one who gives it.

It lasts only a moment, but the memory of it is eternal. No one considers himself rich enough to do without it, and poor enough to beg for her.

A smile is rest for a weary traveler, courage for a discouraged one and sympathy for a grieving soul. This is a real antidote that nature has reserved as a remedy for all suffering. A smile creates happiness in the family and provides support in work.

She special sign friendly disposition.

And at the same time, it cannot be bought, borrowed, or stolen, since it has value only when it is given...

And if one day you meet a person who does not want to give you his smile, although you deserve it, smile back at him, because no one else needs a smile more than the one who does not know how to give it.

Believe me, my brothers in age, that laughter and a smile help us, despite the years, to feel better mentally and physically, change our character for the better and receive from others what we can also give to them.

A smile is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Since the biochemical revolution caused by laughter, fun and smiling, which I spoke about above, has the same positive effect on the body, just like a good gymnastics session, smile!

I often advise older people who come to me complaining that they live in an atmosphere of misunderstanding to become the center of joy for their family. Over time, their smile and goodwill endear them not only to their family and friends, but sometimes to strangers who need positive emotions. And how happy children are if their grandparents are cheerful and friendly! They have in their minds an image of adults moving easily through life, despite problems and adversity. This is also the responsibility of old people - to pass on an important truth to the younger generation: life does not have to be dull and joyless, it is quite possible to go through it with a smile on your lips.

Physiology of laughter

Laughter is a series of small intermittent exhalations as a result of involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. In this case, some muscles come into tension, while others relax, causing a state of rest. At the same time, the sharply exhaled air affects the vocal cords, and we utter the sounds characteristic of laughter, “ha-ha-ha!” This reflex can have many reasons: an intellectual stimulus (a joke, funny scene or image) or physical (tickling), inhalation of a substance with a cheerful effect (nitric oxide) or even illness (for example, schizophrenics are obsessed with fits of laughter, inadequate and uncontrollable). Agree, it is quite difficult to find something in common between all these reasons.

The definition of laughter offered by the dictionary is too laconic and affects only visible signs: “... the manifestation of a feeling of fun with the help of characteristic movements of the lips, mouth and accompanied by intermittent sounds.” Try to laugh at this gloomy definition!

It has been established that laughter is localized somewhere in the region of the human heart, but this place is very difficult to establish. Writer and physician François Rabelais once said that “laughter is an inherent quality of man”; “And sometimes, perhaps, to an animal,” added the poet Alain Fauquet.

The words of Rabelais also echo the definition of Jules Renard, who believes that “humor is an everyday spiritual property of the mind.” To all of the above, we can add the statement of Dr. Rubinstein, to which, I think, many modern doctors will join: “Laughter is a necessary conductor from illness to health; by indicating crossings, directions, intersections and detours, it will help you find the right path.”

The healing power of laughter

The ancient Roman physician Galen argued that cheerful women recover much faster than sad ones. We can easily apply this statement to men, regardless of the era in which they live. In the 13th century, the famous surgeon Henri de Mondeville proposed healing with joy. “The surgeon,” he said, “must forbid his patient to be angry, hate and be sad, constantly reminding him that the body is strengthened in joy and weakened in melancholy.”

Do you know what happens in our body when we laugh? Do you know that it is precisely at this moment that even in a body worn out by years, worries and work, a delightful turmoil arises that brings us great benefit?

Laughter clears and clears the upper respiratory tract, which helps relieve some asthma attacks and even helps cure emphysema. The release of saliva, gastric juice, increased peristalsis of the stomach and intestines, shaking of the liver, pancreas and bile ducts, as well as the lowering of the diaphragm as a result of laughter have a beneficial effect on our digestion. This gymnastics perfectly warms up the digestive tract, preventing constipation.

When we laugh, our attention scatters, our behavior changes, and this affects the chemical processes occurring in the brain, in particular, the production of endorphins - happiness hormones that relieve pain, nervousness, anxiety, stress and give a great mood - is accelerated.

Laughter affects muscles, ranging from the muscles of the face to the muscles of the limbs, including the respiratory and abdominal muscles. This is a real “wave spreading throughout the body.”

It is curious that the center of laughter is located in the right hemisphere of the brain, because laughter is not caused by rational and logical thoughts, but by elements of general perception: emotional, imaginary, instinctive. We laugh spontaneously, and it is useless to try to explain or sort out a funny situation: it will lose it! all its comedy.

Why are we laughing?

Laughter has long been an inexhaustible topic of research, which for the most part turns out to be quite rational (remember what the attempt of linguists to define laughter led to). From Aristotle to Kant, from Spinoza to Baudelaire, including Darwin, Freud and Bergson, many scientists, philosophers, writers tried to take apart the truly magical mechanism of good, sincere fun.

Perhaps only Rabelais was not much closer to solving the great mystery. A mystery that seems to go back a long way: prehistoric man laughed in his cave before he could speak. He laughed, thereby informing his opponents that he was not afraid of them and did not hold any grudge against them.

So, everything fits: in the long history of the human race, a primitive creature, still almost an animal, becomes a man when he begins to laugh; and this laughter is associated with the emotion that arose in connection with the disappearance of danger. It's liberating laughter.

And the center of this emotion is in the most ancient part of the brain, which has remained unchanged since prehistoric times.

“We instinctively feel that laughter is a positive emotion,” Dr. Rubinstein emphasizes. - He is a witness primitive era“, where the meaning of life was the survival of the race, the world was divided into black (danger and death) and white (absence of danger, joy and life).”

The science of laughter originated in the 70s of the last century in America.

And the founder of gelotology, Norman Cousins, went down in history as “the man who managed to make death laugh.”

He suffered from a rare joint disease.

When the doctors gave up, Cousins ​​locked himself in a room and watched comedies for hours.

The result was stunning for doctors.

After a week, the patient’s pain disappeared, after a month he began to move, and after two months he went back to work.

Since then, the influence of laughter on humans has begun to be studied in the USA and Europe.

Humor is as important in our lives as air, food and water.

Laughter is an indispensable helper in difficult situations.

And if a person knows how to laugh at himself and can look at problems from a different angle, he will never give up, but will overcome difficulties with optimism.

Cancer is treated with laughter

Laughter has a huge impact on the body.

It improves mood and well-being.

And not only when a person laughs at something.

Sometimes the positive charge from a good joke lasts us the whole day!

This is due to the intensive production of neurotransmitters by our body: dopamine, serotonin and “happiness hormones” - endorphins.

Laughter- a useful physical exercise that forces 80 muscle groups to work simultaneously! A person’s shoulders move, the diaphragm vibrates, and the muscles of the neck, back and face relax.

Some scientists compare a minute of laughter to 25 minutes of fitness.

When laughing, your heart rate increases.

Physical exercise has a similar effect.

Laughter is a panacea for almost all diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are no exception.

It reduces the production of stress hormones and cholesterol levels, normalizes blood pressure and strengthens the immune system.

Sometimes just laughing is enough to get rid of a headache.

A newborn baby begins to laugh no earlier than a month after birth.

He learns this from his mother.

If she is cheerful, looks at things with optimism, and laughs often, then the baby will also borrow this.

Between the ages of one and five years a person laughs most often.

Kids know how to enjoy life like no one else.

Children laugh often, sincerely and a lot, they are almost always in a wonderful mood.

They are ready for exploits and new discoveries.

Open to them the whole world.

Perhaps because they... laugh.

5 minutes of laughter replace 40 rest

Foreign doctors use laughter therapy to treat various diseases.

After all, a cheerful, optimistic person recovers faster.

It’s a pity that laughter therapy “came” to us only recently.

In the USA, where there are more than 600 laughter therapy specialists, there are Laughter Centers.

People go there like they go to fitness clubs, because it is easier to improve their mood during group laughter sessions and the results last longer.

This is a great pastime: 5 minutes of laughter replaces 40 minutes of relaxation.

Laughter is a contagious “thing”.

In good company, laughter occurs 30 times more often than when alone.

Interestingly, the narrator laughs one and a half times more often than his listeners.

In addition, laughter has a good effect on breathing.

Laughing is very beneficial for pregnant women.

Laughter therapy is also used during childbirth, at the first stage of contractions, it reduces pain.

However, laughter therapy has certain contraindications.

Laughing for a long time is not recommended for people who have a hernia, eye disease or pulmonary diseases: chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis.

This is dangerous when there is a threat of pregnancy failure or postoperative complications.

In this case, people need peace; they should not strain their facial muscles and other parts of the body.

For others, laughter is medicine.

You can organize humor sessions yourself.

For example, live by the rules: “I must laugh at least 10 minutes in the morning, 10 at lunch and the same amount in the evening.”

Watch comedies, humorous programs, read jokes, make an archive of cartoons or funny photos.

Communicate more with cheerful people, extroverts.

It is advisable to find some comic moments and make yourself laugh.

There are plenty of options - you can stand in front of a mirror and “make different funny faces.”

However, there are people who claim that they... don’t know how to laugh.

Perhaps the reason is the serious position they occupy?

In such cases, doctors advise laughing artificially for 5-10 minutes.

This is enough for the facial muscles to work and the brain to be “saturated” with oxygen.

There are... clowns working in hospitals

If abroad a smile has become one of the components of a healthy lifestyle, like, say, playing sports or giving up bad habits, then our compatriots are still far from this.

You need to laugh often and a lot.

This improves both physical and mental well-being.

The hardest thing for psychotherapists is to get a person to laugh.

Many people consider this treatment... frivolous.

People hope to get a miracle pill that will immediately return what they lost.

But this doesn’t happen!

There are simple methods with which you need to start working on yourself.

And one of them is laughter therapy.

If a person is cheerful, looks at things with optimism, learns to appreciate the life that he was born and lives, the world around him will change.

Of course, laughter therapy cannot be used as independent method treatment, only as an additional treatment.

In foreign clinics, you can often see a clown next to doctors.

He works in a full-time position, treating both adults and children with laughter.

It would be very useful to introduce a similar practice here too.

After all, little patients are so lacking in positive emotions!

Where can you get them in the hospital?