Amy Guest Blogs: The best type of medicine…

This Guest Blog Post is from Amy Trang, one of Dr. T’s Health Psychology students:

Many of us have heard that laughter is the best medicine. Fortunately, this is no joke! This research from the Mayo Clinic reveals that laughing can help relieve stress leading to both short-term and long-term benefits. Not only does it alleviate mental exhaustion, it also stimulates organs throughout the body, such as your heart, lungs, and muscles. When this happens, endorphins are released by your brain, producing an overall feeling of well-being. Laughing soothes tension by relaxing muscles and also activates and deactivates your stress response, leaving you in a relaxed state. The long-term effect from laughing includes improving your immune system by having positive thoughts manifest to release certain chemicals that fight off stress and other illnesses.