Happy World Laughter Day! Laughter is the Best Medicine

happy world laughter day

Happy World Laughter Day

Charlie Chaplin, the legendary actor once said, “Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain” and “A day without laughter is a day wasted.”
Laughter may not heal or solve anything but it can at least relieve some stress and divert your mind. That’s what World laughter Day is about!

World laughter Day is celebrated worldwide to create awareness about laughter and to promote wellness and well- being of everyone. It is a day where people can relieve their stress and laugh for some time.

It is like a breath of fresh air which comes into this stressful life every year on the First Sunday of May. The World Laughter Day this year falls on May 6.

Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the World Laughter Yoga Movement in 1995. He is the person behind the innovative idea. This idea took over the rest of the world and the first ever Laughter Day celebrated outside India was called ‘Happy-Demic’.

Kataria felt that a person’s facial expressions have immense effect on his feelings and emotions. He said, “When you laugh, you change and when you change the whole world changes around you.”

Health benefits of laughter.

There are number of health benefits that are related with laughing.

  1. Gives a sense of well-being – You would generally feel better when you laugh and also become a positive person which impacts one’s life in many different ways.
  2. The Endorphins are activated – Endorphins , the natural pain killers get released when one laughs and it will help you feel good and ease your chronic pains.
  3. Improves Cardiac health – laughter therapy is used when anyone is not able to do other types of physical activity. It burns good amount of calories and enable the heart to pump blood normally.
  4. Reduce stress hormones –Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones and cuts stress and anxiety. It has a very good impact on the body and causes good immune system performance.
  5. Lowers Blood pressure – laughter can lower the risk of blood pressure and reduce the risk of a heart attack or a stroke.

This year due to the Lockdown effect, there are no programmes planned, still there are many ways in which the excitement and fun of this day could be experienced.