Activities For Depression and Laughing More Can Be Life-Changing
As a mood disorder, depression can cause sadness, hopelessness, anger, agitation, anxiety, and frustration. It also affects concentration, appetite, sleep, and interest levels in activities an individual usually enjoys. Though chronic depression requires long-term treatment, it is possible to reduce those symptoms using laughter. There are even a variety of activities for depression that can add humor and positivity to your daily routine.
Laughter has several health benefits, including improving mood, stimulating organs, and reducing tension. As well as immediate benefits, there are also long-term benefits to using laughter depression therapy. Fun activities are easy to add to any lifestyle since many options are available. For more information on how recreational laughter can help with depression, keep reading.
Do Laughing Activities Reduce Depression?
Yes, activities that make you laugh can reduce the symptoms of depression. Laughter affects the levels of certain hormones in the body, which can have a positive effect. Stress, on the other hand, negatively alters those levels, increasing depression symptoms.
For instance, cortisol is a naturally-occurring steroid and is acceptable in small doses, but consistently high levels have negative effects. Epinephrine and norepinephrine both affect the heart and blood sugar, though the levels can drop during stressful times.
Depression also lowers other hormones, including serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin increases focus, happiness, and calmness, while dopamine increases motivation. The reduced levels during depressive episodes breed feelings of sadness, anger, tiredness, anxiety, and isolation.
Adding activities that make you laugh to your lifestyle reduces depression by reversing those hormones. The cortisol levels drop, while serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine levels spike. The hormones reach a more positive balance, so stress decreases and your mood improves.
As well as soothing tension and relieving anxiety short-term, there are also long-term benefits to laughter. Frequent laughing can reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress for a more positive outlook. Doing so also increases your coping skills, so challenging situations won’t bring you down so easily.
There are several activities for depression to help tickle your funny bone. There are several comedic television shows or movies available. You can also check out joke books or find some humorous online sources. Getting together with friends and telling funny anecdotes can also get you laughing.
What does laughter do for your body?
When laughter positively affects your mind, your body shows improvements as well. Every time you laugh, white blood cell production is stimulated, improving your immune system. Laughter also causes deeper breathing, which increases oxygen levels in the blood.
The cardiovascular system is also affected since the heart pumps more blood while the vessels dilate, reducing blood pressure. Laughter works the abdominal and respiratory muscles, exercising them with little effort on your part. After those muscles work, they relax, calming your body the way regular exercise would.
Laughter even helps increase your pain threshold, so you don’t feel it as strongly, even with chronic pain. The more you laugh, and do other activities for depression, the less you’ll rely on medications to manage your pain, and the better you’ll feel all around.
This article is for educational and informational purpose only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. For any questions about your own health condition, speak to a qualified physician or healthcare provider.
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