Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Did you know that laughing can actually reduce stress and overwhelm? Studies show that spontaneous laughter in reaction to something around us increases endorphins. Increased endorphins create an opiate state which produces feelings of euphoria. Think about the impact this could have when you are feeling upset or overwhelmed in your marketing

The researchers found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease. "The old saying that 'laughter is the best medicine,' definitely appears to be true when it comes to protecting your heart," says Dr. Michael Miller, director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center¹.

It’s not just the actual laughing that decreases these stress related hormones. One study found that even the anticipation of laughing brings them down. The changes aren’t little either. Cortisol ( “the stress hormone”), epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and dopac (which helps produce epinephrine), were reduced 39, 70 and 38 percent, respectively. Additionally, two hormones which alleviate depression and help with immunity are increased by 27 and 87 percent respectively².

In other words, when we anticipate having a good time, we fill our system with good things. Why not apply this concept to our marketing efforts? Do you imaging going to a networking event to laugh and have fun? Or do you stress about how whether you’ll meet someone to do business with?

It seems like a no brainer: to laugh is to market better. Pursuing spiritual states may not be as hard as we think. Perhaps its about lightening up. Let go of trying and allowing spontaneous amusement to guide you home.