Laughter Really is Good Medicine

Did you know that the old saying Laughter is the Best Medicine really has some truth behind it? It’s true. Laughter can help you relieve stress and we all know that as a travel nurse and/or professional healthcare traveler, there is plenty of stress involved in our day to day. New places, new people, new everything can lead to high stress. Laughter can really help you with this stress. And now, we all have a computer in our pocket, so you can just pull out your phone and play a funny video or watch something that makes you smile. Having a good laugh can decrease the stress hormones in your body while it also increases your immune cells and antibodies that fight infection. It also releases endorphins which are the way the body makes you feel good.

There are many other benefits of laughing as well. Laughing boosts the T-Cells in your body and improves heart health. It can even lower your blood pressure, which is always a good thing. Laughter has been known to relieve pain while it improves your immune system.

When you laugh you take in more oxygen-rich air too and this can stimulate your lungs and heart as well as the muscles of your body, even your abs. It stimulates the circulation in your body and can also help with relaxation. I know that this is my go-to each night to begin the winding down process for sleep. I watch comedy of many kinds, stand-up, movies and even some sitcoms. I also watch videos on YouTube and Facebook, and as you know, the more you watch the more they know what you want to watch and they will feed you more funny stuff.

There are so many ways to find things to make you laugh and there are long term benefits to laughter as well. Overall it can improve your mood, make you feel better and more satisfied, and even help with pain relief.

Travel nurses and professional healthcare travelers need to let off steam after a hard day of caring for your patients and some laughter, either alone or with some friends, truly can be your best medicine!