Living in the modern world, we have to face various kinds of social situations and changes. Faced with various anomalies in their lifestyle for a long time, people become physically and mentally exhausted. Thus, the mental state that occurs in people can be simply called as stress. The term “Tension” in medicine is also interpreted as depression/ mental discomfort/ pressure. Although it is not unusual for this stressful situation to exist naturally in every human being, problems begin to arise in the person and around him when it grows to the point where he is unable to carry out daily activities.
Is stress always bad?
Stress is not always bad. There are four basic types of stress.
- Positive stress
- Negative stress
- Immediate stress
- Chronic stress
Positive stress allows the individual to focus on his goals while also providing the opportunity to prepare well for special situations through immediate stress. But the negative stress caused by situations like exam failures, broken love relationships and long-term stress caused by long-term problems like chronic illnesses and family disputes makes the person physically and mentally exhausted. It also causes many other physical and mental diseases. When a person is stressed, his body produces more adrenaline hormones. At the same time, the sensory function of individuals increases. This happens in any stressful situation, positive and negative, and in positive stress, the same hormone is produced in sufficient quantity, and in negative stress, the adrenalin hormone is produced in excess and the excess is released into the blood, which contributes to damage to the body.
There are five main factors that affect a person’s mental stress.
- Immediate events
- Major changes in life
- Daily difficulties
- Personality disorders
- Conflict situations
The category of immediate events includes both natural disasters and man-made disasters. According to that, the Corona epidemic is a natural disaster that is under the influence of immediate events that are affecting the lives of every person in society as much as necessary. No one can live without it. Therefore, in the face of this epidemic situation, it can be seen that people tend to be anxious for various reasons.
- About his health condition
- About the health condition of the family
- About the job
- Due to traffic restrictions
- About the law
- On the economic situation
- Due to personal love affairs
- Regarding the provision of daily food
- Due to educational activities
Accordingly, it is natural for people to become stressed during an epidemic season under the theme of not only immediate events but also daily difficulties.
Laughter to reduce stress
Various methods that can eliminate personal stress are constantly discussed by psychology, and among them, simple methods that people can do in their daily lives have received more attention in the modern world. Meanwhile, experts believe that laughter is a powerful antidote to stress. Smiling is the symbol of human happiness. Everyone loves to see and laugh and smiles clearly show people’s facial expressions and emotions.
A smile can change everything. It can open closed doors and touch the hearts of people even in a culture you don’t know, smile is the international language known to all people. Laughter makes you feel better and lowers your heart rate.
We are all born with the ability to smile. However, the amount of people’s smiles gradually decreases as they age. Research done in the world on people’s laughter shows that the average happy adult smiles 40-50 times a day, while children smile an average of 400 times a day compared to the average adult who only smiles 20 times a day.
The importance of laughter to humans
Laughter is not only one of the beautiful moods gifted to man but also an internal process that helps our body release beneficial hormones. Studies have shown that laughter is not only good for us mentally but also physiologically. Surprisingly, even one smile can have many health benefits for a person. By that time,
- Decreased blood pressure
- Increase endurance
- Pain reduction
- Stress reduction
- Strengthening the immune system,
Etc, are key.
Laughter triggers a chemical reaction in the brain and releases feel-good hormones in our body, including dopamine and serotonin. “Dopamine increases our pleasure. Serotonin release causes stress release and low serotonin levels are associated with depression and aggression. Low dopamine levels are also associated with depression.
Researchers who have been engaged in research on laughter and stress reduction point out that even though adults often fake smiles, our brains do not work hard to find the false authenticity of the smile and work to provide the benefits that laughter brings to the body.
Epidemic stress and laughter
Those of you, who are stressed due to various reasons in the face of the epidemic situation, laugh to relieve stress from now on. Start your day with a smile. Keep the muscles flexible often for the sake of smiling. Watch a funny movie or show, play more with your kids, laugh and talk with loved ones at home. Every time you smile, not only does it lift your mood, but it can also lift the spirits of anyone around you. You will find that one of your smiles brings additional smiles not only to you but also to those around you. Smiling will make you more comfortable.
In the midst of the Covid pandemic, our smiles are often hidden behind a mask. But that’s no reason to stop smiling. Smiling affects your entire face. So let the people around you see your smile in your eyes, hear it in your voice and reflect it in your body language. It will release your stress and add happiness to your moods.